Cybersecurity trends in LATAM: What IT consultants need to know

Latin America (LATAM) is experiencing a surge in cyberattacks. Recent research shows that more than 1,600 attacks are reported every second in the region and that the number of disclosed incidents has been growing by about 25% per year in the last decade. The numbers underscore why businesses and IT service providers across the region should rethink their security strategies. This blog examines the current threat landscape, emphasizes the factors driving the shift towards advanced and proactive defenses and provides practical recommendations to strengthen security.

The current cybersecurity landscape in LATAM

Cyberattacks have become a major economic challenge across LATAM, with damages exceeding 1% of GDP in several countries and climbing to nearly 6% when critical infrastructure is affected. The impact is most visible in sectors that drive the region’s economy — particularly industrial and energy — where disruptions can have far-reaching consequences. Brazil, Mexico and Colombia face the highest attack volumes, due to their large populations, industrial strength and growing digital footprints.

Ransomware remains the most common and damaging threat, with government agencies being the most targeted with 31% of incidents, followed by manufacturing (12%), trade (11%) and healthcare (9%).

As these attacks grow more frequent and sophisticated, LATAM nations are realizing that traditional security approaches are no longer enough. Strengthening resilience now depends on adopting modern, coordinated defenses that can protect critical infrastructure and the broader economy.

Unique vulnerabilities of LATAM businesses

Several factors make businesses in LATAM attractive targets:

Weak IT infrastructure and limited cybersecurity awareness

Many organizations in LATAM still operate with minimal cybersecurity frameworks. Limited budgets and a shortage of trained professionals make it difficult to maintain robust IT defenses. As a result, these businesses lack visibility into their networks and are slow to detect or respond to attacks.

Reliance on outdated systems and basic antivirus tools

Legacy systems remain common across industries, especially among small and midsized businesses (SMBs). These outdated platforms are often no longer supported with regular updates, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation. Basic antivirus software, while useful, cannot defend against today’s sophisticated ransomware and phishing attacks.

Reactive security instead of proactive protection

A large portion of businesses in the region still depend on break-fix approaches — addressing issues only after an incident occurs. This reactive mindset limits their ability to anticipate threats, perform regular risk assessments or deploy automated monitoring systems that could prevent attacks before they happen.

Lack of unified cybersecurity standards

Unlike regions with centralized cybersecurity regulations, LATAM’s fragmented legal and policy environment makes it harder for organizations to maintain consistent protection. Each country follows its own guidelines, leading to uneven levels of preparedness and inconsistent reporting of cyber incidents.

The “too small to be targeted” misconception

Many SMBs in LATAM still believe that cybercriminals only go after large corporations. This misconception leaves them exposed. Attackers often see SMBs as easier targets because of their limited defenses and the valuable data they still manage, ranging from client information to payment details.

Emerging cybersecurity trends in LATAM

As cyberthreats evolve, LATAM organizations are rethinking how they protect their data and infrastructure. Three major trends are defining this shift — each signaling a move toward smarter, more resilient defenses.

Trend 1: The AI arms race in cybersecurity

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping both offensive and defensive cybersecurity strategies. Attackers are using AI to automate phishing campaigns, identify vulnerabilities and adapt their tactics at scale. According to IBM’s X-Force 2025 Threat Intelligence Index Report, LATAM is among the most affected by phishing, with Brazil accounting for 53% of incidents, followed by Mexico and Peru at 13% each.

While attackers innovate, defenders are also adopting AI. IBM’s 2025 Cost of a Data Breach study found that organizations extensively using AI and automation shortened the time to identify and contain breaches by 80 days and reduced average breach costs by U.S. $1.9 million compared with organizations that did not use these tools.

AI-powered security tools are becoming essential for small IT teams that need to do more with less. These tools can analyze behavior patterns, detect threats in real time and automate parts of the response process — helping teams focus on the most serious risks instead of getting buried in alerts. By prioritizing critical issues, AI enables faster, more accurate decisions and makes managing growing security demands efficient.

Trend 2: From antivirus to layered security

The sheer volume and sophistication of attacks in LATAM and across the world now outpace what antivirus alone can cover. Ransomware, data theft, supply-chain exploitation and cloud-based threats all involve multiple phases that AV cannot fully address. Without endpoint detection and response (EDR), and managed detection and response (MDR)/SOC layers and solid backups, organizations can fall victim to persistent or multistage attacks.

One major reason layered defenses are now essential is the rise of ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS). In this model, developers offer ransomware tools to affiliates, increasing the number of actors and simplifying entry into ransomware attacks. This increases the burden on defenders and raises the value of layered defenses.

The multilayer defense model starts with basic AV to recognize known malware. It then adds EDR to monitor behavior and stop attacks in progress, and MDR provides 24/7 investigation capability and human-led response. Finally, immutable backups serve as the recovery fallback when prevention and containment fail. This layered stack ensures threats are managed at multiple stages rather than relying on one tool.

Trend 3: Moving from reactive to proactive security

Cybersecurity programs in LATAM lean heavily on reactive approaches — nearly 60% of organizations focus on responding to incidents rather than preventing them. This makes security operations unsustainable. By the time teams react to a breach, the damage is done.

Recognizing the need for change, businesses in the region are shifting toward proactive security management. Proactive programs emphasize continuous network monitoring, regularly updated incident response plans and frequent testing of backup and recovery systems. The regional incident response services market is expanding quickly, with forecasts showing a 12.5% compound annual growth rate across key sectors. Financial services, government and healthcare are leading this adoption.

This evolution is also fueling demand for integrated security platforms and managed services that make proactive defense more achievable. Many LATAM businesses, especially SMBs and small IT service providers, operate with lean IT teams and limited expertise. They struggle with tool sprawl, which creates unnecessary complexity. Unified platforms that combine monitoring, detection, response and recovery reduce this burden, improving both visibility and operational efficiency.

Practical recommendations for IT consultants in 2025

To strengthen cyber‑resilience, businesses in the region can adopt the following practices:

Implement security-by-design for clients

Advise your IT team and clients to build security into systems from the start rather than adding it later. Embedding controls during architecture and planning reduces vulnerabilities and expensive remediation.

Promote AI-assisted detection and automated remediation

Use AI-driven tools that can identify and respond to threats faster than manual processes. Automation helps small IT teams manage large environments efficiently by detecting anomalies, isolating affected systems and applying fixes in real time.

Educate end-users on phishing and password hygiene

Technical defences are only as strong as the people using them. Regular user training on recognizing phishing emails, using strong passwords and enabling multi-factor authentication can dramatically reduce the risk of breaches. Consultants should help clients establish ongoing awareness programs that keep users informed and alert.

Adopt integrated security solutions for efficiency

Invest in unified platforms that integrate monitoring, detection, response and recovery. These solutions simplify management, reduce alert fatigue and improve visibility across systems. For small IT teams, integration offers a practical path toward consistent and proactive security management.

Strengthen your defences in 2025

Cyberthreats are growing faster than most teams can keep up with. Whether you manage your own IT or protect clients as an IT service provider, staying ahead means having a security foundation that works together — not in pieces.

Datto’s integrated security suite brings advanced prevention, detection and response into one unified experience. It combined MDR, AV and SOC which help your team act faster, reduce complexity and stop attacks before they spread.

Don’t wait for the next incident to test your resilience. See how Datto can help you protect and simplify security. Request your demo today.