Just two years ago, most mobile businesses focused on basic data protection threats—like jailbreak and root detection. That was the extent of the conversation. Today, the threat landscape has changed dramatically. The mobile attack surface has exploded, and account takeover (ATO) attacks have emerged as one of the most dangerous and widespread risks facing mobile apps in 2025.
The data paints a stark picture: in 2024, ATO attacks surged 24% year-over-year. A staggering 83% of enterprises reported at least one incident. Mobile apps—especially in financial services, retail, healthcare, and travel—are now primary targets. With the rise of AI-powered fraud, synthetic identities, and automated credential abuse, traditional defenses are no longer enough.
So why is Account Takeover Protection essential this year? Let’s explore the top five reasons mobile apps must stop ATOs now—and how Appdome helps you do exactly that.
1. The Credential Tsunami
Credential stuffing and brute-force attacks are now daily threats. Cybercriminals use massive databases of stolen passwords—often purchased on the dark web—to launch automated login attacks against mobile apps. With widespread password reuse, even a small breach elsewhere can unlock your app.
Botnets can hammer mobile login endpoints with thousands of requests per minute, searching for valid credentials. Without purpose-built defenses, breaches are inevitable.
Appdome’s Mobile Bot Defense stops credential stuffing and brute force attacks in real time, detecting and blocking automated traffic before any fraud occurs—without SDKs or server calls.
2. Deepfake-Fueled Biometric Bypass
Biometric authentication was once seen as a silver bullet. But, attackers have adapted fast. In 2025, deepfake technology has evolved to the point where AI-generated faces and voices can convincingly spoof biometric systems in mobile apps. These synthetic identity attacks are increasingly difficult to detect and nearly impossible to stop using legacy tools.
Appdome’s Biometric Authentication Defense detects and blocks spoofing and deepfake login attempts in real time, ensuring that biometric login remains a true trust signal—not a new vulnerability.
3. Hijacked and Synthetic Sessions
Modern attackers don’t just steal credentials—they hijack entire app sessions. Mobile malware, spyware, and overlay attacks can take over a user’s session, steal tokens, and impersonate the account—all without triggering fraud alerts. Some threat actors even build synthetic users using real and fake data to bypass KYC checks.
Appdome’s Mobile Malware Protection and Overlay Attack Prevention stops these threats at runtime, cutting off session hijacking, malicious overlays, and impersonation attempts inside the app itself.
4. Social Engineering Starts Inside the App
Many ATOs start with a simple message. Posing as customer support agents, fraudsters initiate fake conversations or chats directly inside the app—asking users to share credentials, reset passwords, or verify account details. These scams feel more trustworthy because they happen in-app, not in email or text.
Appdome’s Social Engineering Attack Prevention blocks remote access, screen sharing, and in-app impersonation techniques, preventing fraudsters from manipulating users within the trusted environment of your app.
5. When You Discover It, It’s Already Too Late
The biggest problem with ATOs isn’t just stopping them—it’s detecting them before the damage is done. Most businesses only find out after funds are stolen, personal data is exposed, or customer trust is lost. ATOs often mimic normal user behavior and bypass anomaly detection and fingerprinting solutions.
Appdome Threat-Events™ deliver real-time threat telemetry matched with app session data. You can trigger in-app messages, session kill switches, or workflow changes automatically— enabling proactive prevention instead of passive detection.
The Path Forward
The scale, speed, and sophistication of ATO attacks in 2025 demand a smarter approach. You need protections that operate inside the app, in real time, and stop attacks before they start.
Appdome delivers just that. Our AI-Native platform stops ATOs using layered defenses against bots, deepfakes, malware, session hijacking, social engineering, and more—all without SDKs, servers, or code changes. You can even integrate Appdome directly into your CI/CD pipeline and release fully protected mobile apps with every build.
Protect your users. Protect your brand. Stop ATOs before they start—with Appdome.
