Digital threats and espionage rise across Latin America

Latin America is experiencing a significant rise in digital threats, characterized by both large-scale fraudulent traffic and targeted surveillance. According to an Infobip report, fraudulent messages blocked in the region increased by 56% year-over-year, with phishing accounting for 50% of all blocked messages.

In response to cybercriminals using artificial intelligence to scale attacks, companies in the region are increasingly adopting AI-driven security defenses. Global trends show a 71% increase in the adoption of AI-powered fraud detection.

Beyond financial fraud, digital espionage is posing severe psychosocial risks to human rights defenders in the region. Research by Fundación Acceso indicates that spyware and surveillance technologies cause impacts that transcend technical issues, leading to hypervigilance, fear, isolation, and the disruption of personal and community projects. The foundation has developed guides to integrate digital security with emotional well-being to address these psychological consequences.