The pandemic has accelerated digital transformation and telework on a scale never seen before. Employees are working from anywhere and collaboration in the cloud has skyrocketed. But this new environment has expanded the cyber attack surface, compromising critical U.S. infrastructure and lives of our citizens. The recent slew of major cyber attacks including SolarWinds, Microsoft Exchange and Colonial Pipeline, has moved cybersecurity improvements to the top of the agenda for the U.S.

Tablets and mobile devices have become an essential part of our daily lives, especially as 5G expands and remote work continues. This means these devices hold some of the most sensitive information that is tied to our digital identity. Today, I’m excited to share that we have expanded our consumer partnership with NTT DOCOMO to include identity monitoring and protection for DOCOMO’s subscribers across Android and iOS devices.

Cloud-based solutions have become essential to how we work and play in the digital era. Many organizations continue their rapid embrace of cloud-based solutions to enable their employees the flexibility to work from anywhere. Cloud spending this year could hit $332 billion, up 23% from 2020, according to a forecast by Gartner, Inc. 1 The cloud has raised our expectations regarding productivity as organizations view the cloud as a true engine of competitive advantage.

Software as a service (SaaS) apps have reshaped the way we stay productive. By having everything easily accessible in the cloud, we are able to get work done from anywhere and on any device. But, as we know, this flexibility has also introduced security challenges, as your data is also easier to reach for malicious actors. This is why the purchase of a cloud access security broker (CASB) is never that controversial. Most organizations understand that cloud apps require additional protection.

I’m pleased to share that Jamf and Lookout have formed a partnership to integrate Jamf Pro with Lookout Mobile Endpoint Security. Jamf provides mobile device management for Apple devices and specializes in serving IT professionals, schools and small businesses. Together, Lookout and Jamf enable your organization to deploy and provision iOS devices while protecting them against mobile threats such as phishing and network attacks.

Last year was an especially stressful time for healthcare systems. Not only were emergency rooms overwhelmed by patients, a number of them were also hit by system-crippling cyberattacks. According to Comparitech, in 2020 alone, 92 ransomware attacks affected over 600 healthcare organizations, exposing more than 18 million patient records. These attacks brought operations to a standstill for days or weeks at a time, costing the healthcare industry an estimated $20.8 billion.

One thing that 2020 taught us is that you can do anything with a mobile device. My smartphone and tablet have become my go-to for shopping, banking, watching TV and video chatting with family and friends. I’m also getting a lot of work done on them. Basically it has become the center of both my personal and professional lives. Here’s the dilemma a lot of organizations are facing: while away from the office, your workers are using their mobile devices to stay productive.

Ransomware has been a thorn in the side of cybersecurity teams for the past several years. As other security threats have come and gone, this insidious threat has been a constant challenge for every organization. This past year has proven to be especially profitable for ransomware operators, as major organizations like United Health Services, Orange and Acer have fallen victim to these attacks.

Not long ago, amid the Microsoft Exchange Server attacks, Lookout Chief Strategy Officer Aaron Cockerill wrote about why cloud apps are more secure than their on-premise counterparts. That’s a really important lesson and an initial step towards securing your organization. Here’s part two of that narrative: you also need dedicated security to ensure that your cloud infrastructure and apps are secure.

As guardians of valuable monetary assets and highly sensitive data, financial institutions are the perfect target for cybercriminals. According to IBM, the financial services sector was the number one target of cyberattacks in 2020 among all industries. This means these organizations continue to be challenged and invest heavily in both people and technology to make sure they can withstand attacks of any type.