Executive Summary
In 2021, the number of reported data leaks increased by 68%, reaching an all-time high that exceeded the previous record by more than 23% according to the U.S.-based Identity Theft Resource Center’s annual report. Among the thousands of organizations affected by these data breaches were the social networks Facebook and LinkedIn, the Thai and Brazilian governments and internet giant Comcast, among others.
Although some of these incidents were caused by human error, most of them were the result of cyberattacks that led to unauthorized access to private data. In most cases, these cyberattacks were carried out using information initially stolen from the mobile devices of organizations’ employees and clients, through spyware or phishing campaigns, among others.
Mobile devices are essential for the performance of any organization’s workforce, and this central position makes them a prime target for cybercriminals and cyberactivists seeking sensitive information to sell and disclose.
To ensure the safety of data stored on their organization’s mobile devices, security teams apply guidelines: for each detected threat, a security response is scheduled and deployed, either manually or automatically depending on the needs and tools in place.
