Top 6 Cybersecurity Risks for Payment Apps in 2025

Just two years ago, mobile brands and businesses primarily focused on mobile app on-device security risks. Today, the mobile attack surface has expanded dramatically, presenting a multitude of cybersecurity challenges that demand immediate attention. 

 The financial impact of cybercrime is staggering. Cybersecurity Ventures estimates that cybercrime will cost the world $10.5 trillion annually by 2025. This surge underscores the critical need for robust security measures, especially for payment applications on Android and iOS platforms. 

Top 6 Cybersecurity Risks for Payment Apps in 2025 

Today, mobile payment applications on Android and iOS platforms face a very sophisticated attack surface. Here is a brief list of the top attack vectors mobile payment applications face in 2025 and beyond:  

1. Deepfake Biometric Bypass

Deepfake technology has advanced to the point where malicious actors can create synthetic biometric data to deceive authentication systems. For instance, attackers might generate artificial facial images or voice patterns to bypass facial recognition or voice authentication mechanisms. This poses a significant threat to payment apps that rely on biometric verification, as unauthorized transactions can be conducted without the user’s knowledge. 

2. Spyware or Malware-Induced Account Takeovers (ATOs)

The proliferation of sophisticated spyware and malware allows cybercriminals to infiltrate devices, capturing sensitive information such as login credentials. Once these credentials are compromised, attackers can take over user accounts, leading to unauthorized transactions and potential financial losses. The increasing frequency of such attacks highlights the need for advanced malware detection and prevention strategies. 

3. Social Engineering Scams

Techniques such as vishing (voice phishing), screen sharing scams, and remote desktop scams have become more prevalent. Attackers manipulate users into divulging personal information or granting access to their devices. For example, a scammer might impersonate a bank representative and convince a user to share their account details or install malicious software, leading to unauthorized access and fraudulent activities. 

4. Brute Force Mobile Bot and Credential Stuffing Attacks

Automated bots are employed to perform brute force attacks, systematically attempting various password combinations to gain access to user accounts. Credential stuffing involves using lists of compromised credentials to breach accounts on multiple platforms. In payment environments, this can result in mass fraud, synthetic identity abuse, and inflated costs tied to infrastructure and fraud detection systems. Given that many users reuse passwords across services, a single data breach can lead to widespread unauthorized access, emphasizing the importance of implementing multi-factor authentication and monitoring for unusual login activities. 

5. Fraudulent Activities

Cybercriminals employ tactics such as creating fake user accounts, simulating legitimate user behaviors (fake gestures, taps), and spoofing locations to deceive payment systems. These fraudulent activities can lead to unauthorized transactions, financial losses, and erosion of user trust. Advanced behavioral analytics are essential to detect and prevent such deceptive practices. 

6. On-Device Security Breaches 

Attackers exploit vulnerabilities within the device’s operating system or applications to harvest Personally Identifiable Information (PII), transaction data, and other sensitive information. Such breaches can result in identity theft, financial fraud, and significant reputational damage to the service provider. Regular security assessments and timely updates are crucial to mitigate these risks. 

AI-Native Defense is the only way to Defend the Mobile Business 

 To combat these evolving threats, adopting an AI-native defense platform is essential. Integrating AI into every facet of the Android & iOS defense posture — from using AI to code and build security measures into mobile apps to monitoring, assessing, and ranking risks, all the way to automating incident response and providing support to end-users facing threats  — is a must. AI-native defense platforms have several advantages over AI-aided or manual defense efforts, including: 

• Automated Defense: AI-Native Defense can code and build security features into Android & iOS apps to stop threats before they materialize, allowing for preemptive action. 

• Threat Identification: AI-Native analytics can process and benchmark vast amounts of data, ensuring security measures keep pace with the growing user base and active attack surface. 

• Automated Compliance: AI-Native platforms can integrate for continuous compliance throughout the mobile app lifecycle and DevSecOps workflows. 

• Automated Incident Response: AI-Native platforms can swiftly respond to emerging threats, minimizing potential damage of any attack. 

• Enhanced User Support: AI-Native cyber support systems can assist users in real-time, providing step-by-step instructions to mitigate or remediate threats on any mobile device and OS.
  

AI-native platforms not only speed mobile time to market, but reduce the cost of defense and enhance the overall user experience, fostering loyalty and satisfaction. 

Appdome: A Comprehensive AI-Native Platform  

Appdome stands out as an AI-native platform offering holistic protection for mobile businesses. It utilizes AI at every level to code, build, certify, monitor, and measure defenses, respond to attacks, and support end-users. With over 400 dynamic defense plugins, Appdome provides a comprehensive, no-code security solution that empowers businesses to combat a wide range of threats, including anti-malware, anti-fraud, anti-cheat, mobile bot attacks, ATOs, social engineering, and geo-fraud. Appdome’s dynamic defense plugin architecture allows for rapid adaptation to emerging threats without the need for extensive code changes. This flexibility ensures that modern brands and businesses can maintain robust security postures in an ever-evolving threat landscape. 

 In conclusion, as the cybersecurity landscape for payment applications becomes increasingly complex, leveraging AI-native platforms like Appdome is crucial. Such platforms offer the speed, scale, and adaptability required to protect against sophisticated threats, ensuring the security and trustworthiness of mobile payment solutions. 

If you would like a demo of Appdome, reach out – we can’t wait to meet you!