#FactCheck - Viral Video Claiming to Show Kashmir Avalanche Is AI-Generated
Executive Summary
A video is being shared on social media claiming to show an avalanche in Kashmir. The caption of the post alleges that the incident occurred on February 6. Several users sharing the video are also urging people to avoid unnecessary travel to hilly regions. CyberPeace’s research found that the video being shared as footage of a Kashmir avalanche is not real. The research revealed that the viral video is AI-generated.
Claim
The video is circulating widely on social media platforms, particularly Instagram, with users claiming it shows an avalanche in Kashmir on February 6. The archived version of the post can be accessed here. Similar posts were also found online. (Links and archived links provided)
Fact Check:
To verify the claim, we searched relevant keywords on Google. During this process, we found a video posted on the official Instagram account of the BBC. The BBC post reported that an avalanche occurred near a resort in Sonamarg, Kashmir, on January 27. However, the BBC post does not contain the viral video that is being shared on social media, indicating that the circulating clip is unrelated to the real incident.
A close examination of the viral video revealed several inconsistencies. For instance, during the alleged avalanche, people present at the site are not seen panicking, running for cover, or moving toward safer locations. Additionally, the movement and flow of the falling snow appear unnatural. Such visual anomalies are commonly observed in videos generated using artificial intelligence. As part of the research , the video was analyzed using the AI detection tool Hive Moderation. The tool indicated a 99.9% probability that the video was AI-generated.
Conclusion
Based on the evidence gathered during our research , it is clear that the video being shared as footage of a Kashmir avalanche is not genuine. The clip is AI-generated and misleading. The viral claim is therefore false.
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Introduction
THE DIGITAL PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION BILL, 2022 Released for Public Consultation on November 18, 2022THE DIGITAL PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION BILL, 2023Tabled at LokSabha on August 03. 2023Personal data may be processed only for a lawful purpose for which an individual has given consent. Consent may be deemed in certain cases.The 2023 bill imposes reasonable obligations on data fiduciaries and data processors to safeguard digital personal data.There is a Data Protection Board under the 2022 bill to deal with the non-compliance of the Act.Under the 2023 bill, there is the Establishment of a new Data Protection Board which will ensure compliance, remedies and penalties.
Under the new bill, the Board has been entrusted with the power of a civil court, such as the power to take cognisance in response to personal data breaches, investigate complaints, imposing penalties. Additionally, the Board can issue directions to ensure compliance with the act.The 2022 Bill grants certain rights to individuals, such as the right to obtain information, seek correction and erasure, and grievance redressal.The 2023 bill also grants More Rights to Individuals and establishes a balance between user protection and growing innovations. The bill creates a transparent and accountable data governance framework by giving more rights to individuals. In the 2023 bill, there is an Incorporation of Business-friendly provisions by removing criminal penalties for non-compliance and facilitating international data transfers.
The new 2023 bill balances out fundamental privacy rights and puts reasonable limitations on those rights.Under the 2022 bill, Personal data can be processed for a lawful purpose for which an individual has given his consent. And there was a concept of deemed consent.The new data protection board will carefully examine the instance of non-compliance by imposing penalties on non-compiler.The bill does not provide any express clarity in regards to compensation to be granted to the Data Principal in case of a Data Breach.Under 2023 Deemed consent is there in its new form as ‘Legitimate Users’.The 2022 bill allowed the transfer of personal data to locations notified by the government.There is an introduction of the negative list, which restricts cross-data transfer.
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Introduction
With the advent of cloud computing, new information and asset delivery avenues have become possible, including Infrastructure-as-a-Service, Platform-as-a-Service, and Software-as-a-Service. With this change, the conventional paradigm of "computer as a product" is replaced with "computing as a service," which is provided to customers via the internet by big data warehouses or the cloud. Additionally, it has brought about an essential shift in how organisations function, allowing them to access computer tools and services online instead of needing to construct and manage their IT systems. As a result, organizations are now more agile, scalable, and efficient and can react swiftly to shifting consumer demands and market situations.
The Growth of Remote and Hybrid Workspaces
Hybrid and remote workplaces are becoming more popular post-pandemic era. Many businesses have used regional workplace solutions to manage a more scattered workforce. IT departments are put in a difficult position since they have to make sure that branch office staff and remote workers can access the information they require safely and dependably. VPNs and Direct Internet Access links are becoming more and more popular, thus IT professionals are coming up with innovative ways for connecting distant locations to the main office while protecting the confidentiality of information.
User Portability
The widespread use of mobile devices for work, along with the growing Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) culture, has significantly contributed to the rise of remote work and flexible work environments. Employees can now connect to corporate systems using either personal or company-issued devices through secure methods such as Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) or cloud-based platforms. This has made teleworking, work-from-home setups, and flexible work hours increasingly common and practical, allowing for greater productivity and work-life balance.
Growing Volume of Traffic
Professionals in the modern workplace must have access to private apps stored in a data centre or a multi-cloud setup. Nevertheless, these programs might not always be easily accessible from branch offices or by remote workers and staff members might not have instant support for IT. Organizations must discover solutions to this problem so that remote workers may consistently and dependably access company resources while also making the most of their current assets. It is important to note that employees need reliable and secure ways to access their work tools from anywhere, just like they would in the office.
Battling Networking and Security Issues in a Post-Pandemic Setting
While many businesses have successfully adopted a cloud-first approach for new system implementations or have deployed specific Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solutions, many are still struggling to fully reap the benefits of moving most or all of their business software to the cloud.
- Conventional IT frameworks allowed for the creation of the present company applications. Because of this, these applications are frequently inflexible and configured for fixed capacity across a limited number of data facilities. Certain organizations could lack the elements required to oversee an entire cloud migration. This could be the result of things like an affinity for on-premises systems, aversion to alteration, or a lack of experience with cloud systems.
- Although cloud computing might be a cost-effective solution for some workloads, it might not be the best choice overall. Running certain applications in a combination of cloud services or on-premises may be more cost-effective.
- Particularly if they are regionally distributed, workloads requiring high connection speeds or low latency may not be ideal for cloud computing.
- If a corporation lacks authority over the servers in the cloud, it may be concerned about the integrity of its data stored there. Consequently, they would rather keep it inside their data facilities.
- Firms may be restricted in their ability to migrate some types of information to the cloud by legal or compliance regulations.
Networking and Cybersecurity Consolidation: Handling Present Risks
In the past, protecting a network required establishing boundaries and keeping an eye on communication between recognized devices. However, it is now required for a network's components to work together as a cohesive system due to shifting expectations. To do this, flexible network pieces must be able to communicate with one another while also protecting workflows, apps, and payments that move across different devices. The current problem is to effortlessly combine security with network capabilities and connection so that data can flow between constantly moving devices while being inspected, encrypted, and subject to regulation.
Infrastructure and security personnel must update their methods and equipment to better meet these constraints to deliver reliable, efficient, and trustworthy access across users, apps, and regions within an enterprise. Inevitably, networking and safety will eventually merge for improved organizational alignment.
Businesses may stay ahead of the competition in attracting top people in an increasingly diverse and cost-effective workplace by integrating a virtual and physical workforce. The future of security solutions lies in consolidation and platformisation; a cloud-centric Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) the capacity offering paired with network edge capabilities like secured Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) can improve and automate the safety measures of the company while also cutting down on the complexity and expense of managing disparate point remedies.
Safe Networking: Moving Towards This Phenomenon and Concentration of Cybersecurity
Companies relying on conventional networking models often face challenges in securing modern elements, such as cloud-based applications, remote users, mobile devices, and distributed locations, because traditional networks were not designed with these factors in mind. A robust networking strategy integrates both safety and networking into one system to get around these problems. It enhances security posture and network performance. It improves the user's experience and lessens the complexities of management. It is important to combine point product providers into a risk management platform rather than implementing safety measures one at a time. Tighter cooperation, greater efficiency, and a quicker, better-coordinated reaction to network threats are made possible by this.
SASE: A Coordinated Method
Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) is a cloud-based architecture that offers security and networking solutions as needed and unites all edges into a single logical connection.
SASE drivers
Conventional safety measures are ill-suited to deal with the more dispersed and complicated IT environment brought about by the advent of the Internet of Things, edge computing, and telecommuting. Using SASE, security and network services may be accessed from the cloud, eliminating the need to backhaul traffic to a single data centre for safety assessment.
- Distant user traffic assessment and blind spots presented difficulties for companies.
- Full oversight over hybrid network operations is provided by SASE technology, which provides network services including FWaaS, SWG, DLP, and CASB.
- Issues around abnormal port usage and policy violations have arisen as more customers access SaaS apps from different gadgets and regions.
- SASE technology reduces the cost of hiring IT staff by combining safe access to resources from one supplier.
- SASE technology consolidates secure accessibility capabilities from one vendor, hence lowering the cost of hiring IT workers.
- One major benefit of SASE technology is its ease of administration. Even when overseeing multiple offices inside a corporate network, the IT department's job is minimized because a single cloud-based administrator manages the entire system.
Recommendations
- For high-risk use cases, consider utilizing Zero Trust Network Access to supplement or replace the outdated VPN for distant users.
- Take inventory of the gear and agreements in order to progressively replace the branch and perimeter hardware on-site over a few years in favour of delivering SASE functionalities via the cloud.
- Simplify and cut expenses by grouping suppliers when VPN, CASB, and encrypted web portal agreements are up for renewal. Profit from a market that has come together and integrated these security edge services.
- Limit SASE products to a couple of partnering companies.
- Irrespective of location, integrate Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) and methods of authorization (such as MFA) for every client, including those in the workplace or branch.
- To meet security and regulatory requirements, select SASE products that provide you control over where inspection takes place, how traffic is directed, what is recorded, and where records are kept.
Conclusion
The development of cloud technology, the rise of offsite and hybrid workplaces, and the increased challenges in communication and privacy following the pandemic highlight the necessity for a comprehensive and integrated strategy. By adopting SASE (Secure Access Service Edge), a cloud-centric framework that enables secure connectivity across diverse environments, businesses can enhance cybersecurity, streamline operations, and adapt to the evolving needs of modern workplaces. This approach ultimately contributes to a safer and more efficient future for information architecture.
References
- https://www.dsci.in/files/content/knowledge-centre/2023/DSCI-Fortinet%20POV%20Paper.pdf
- https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/cloud/cloud-trends-and-cybersecurity-challenges-navigating-future
- https://banagevikas.medium.com/cybersecurity-trends-2024-navigating-the-future-10383ec10efe
Authors:
Soumya Gangele (Intern - Tech & Policy), CyberPeace
Neeraj Soni (Sr. Researcher), CyberPeace
Executive Summary
A video showing thick smoke rising from a building and people running in panic is being shared on social media. The video is being circulated with the claim that it shows Iran launching a missile attack on the United States.CyberPeace’s research found the claim to be misleading. Our probe revealed that the video is not related to any recent incident. The viral clip is actually from the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in the United States and is being falsely shared as footage of an alleged Iranian missile strike on the US.
Claim:
An Instagram user shared the video claiming, “Iran has attacked a US airbase in Qatar. Iran has fired six ballistic missiles at the Al Udeid Airbase in Qatar. Al Udeid Airbase is the largest US military base in West Asia.”
Links to the post and its archived version are provided below.
Fact Check:
To verify the claim, we extracted key frames from the viral video and ran a reverse image search using Google Lens. During the search, we found visuals matching the viral clip in a report published by Wion on September 11, 2021. The report, titled “In pics | A look back at the scenes from the 9/11 attacks,” included an image that closely resembled the visuals seen in the viral video. The caption of the image stated that it was a file photo from September 11, 2001, showing pedestrians running as one of the World Trade Center towers collapsed in New York City.
Further research led us to the same footage on the YouTube channel CBS 8 San Diego. At the 01:11 timestamp of the video, visuals matching the viral clip can be clearly seen.
We also found an Al Jazeera report dated June 23, 2025, which confirmed that Iran had attacked US forces stationed at the Al Udeid airbase in Qatar in retaliation for US strikes on Iran’s uclear facilities. However, the visuals used in the viral video do not correspond to this incident.
Conclusion
The viral video does not show a recent Iranian attack on a US airbase in Qatar. The clip actually dates back to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in the United States. Old 9/11 footage has been falsely shared with a misleading claim linking it to Iran’s alleged missile strike on the US.
