Author: Rebecca

Every year comes with its own top mobile trends that define the way users experience their devices and their connectivity.

Spending more time at home spiked the ways in which smartphones have been used causing these 2020 trends to soar.

This year created sharply defined device usage trends as record numbers of employees and students found themselves working and learning remotely. More than ever before, smartphones and other mobile devices provided entertainment, communication and contact-free shopping and payments experiences.

Beyond the basics, such as video chatting, NFC tap-to-pay using mobile wallets, and scanning QR codes, there were certain top mobile trends that stood out above the rest this year, particularly in terms of the number of hours users spent with them.  Those other technologies were already steadily increasing in use before 2020 began, but the following additional trends managed to come into their own throughout the last several months.

The following are 3 of the top mobile trends that exploded in use in 2020.

1.     iGaming

iGaming is a form of betting on the outcome or specific components of an online game or event.  These include everything from the traditional online casinos to poker, sports betting, or putting money on alternative competitions and events such as on video game tournaments or even marble racing.

This year, as many in-person events were locked out or minimized due to the pandemic crisis, iGaming took off as a form of entertainment people could enjoy from home, even if their typical favorite form of entertainment was on hold for health and safety reasons.

2.     Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial intelligence has held a rather sci-fi reputation among top mobile trends until this year.  Now, names such as Alexa, Siri, Google Assistant and Cortana have all become regular parts of our everyday lives. They are incorporated into everything from our phones to certain wearable technology, speakers and even doorbells.

They are incorporated into various types of apps to make it possible to use gadgets hands-free through voice recognition and are always fine-tuning a consumer’s shopping experience. Marketers and businesses alike are using AI to continually improve the relevance of information, ads and product suggestions displayed in front of a potential or existing customer.

3.     Location-Based Technology

Smartphones have long been tracking our locations.  There hasn’t been any secret about that. However, a rising number of applications are requesting permission for this activity and for very specific purposes.

Some stores use this feature so that shoppers will receive relevant promotion information once they enter the store or even move closer to a specific relevant product.  Others, ride share services, for instance, use it to dispatch the nearest possible vehicle for the most efficient service.

Other apps will request this permission despite the fact that it doesn’t appear to have anything to do with their primary purpose.  This is because they make their revenue from ads and having a device user’s location helps to better target those ads. When advertising is more relevant to the user – such as location-specific marketing – they are more likely to act on what they see, generating sales and therefore ad revenue for the app.

These top mobile trends have been growing exceptionally rapidly. While they may have been spurred on by the unique global situation in 2020, they are now propelling forward by their own fuel and are only likely to gain speed in 2021 and beyond.

Between 2011 and 2017 there were an estimated 4,732 cyber attacks carried out against American businesses. However, only 24 of those breaches were reported to the SEC by the affected company. Those numbers are surprising, but the fact that companies are tight lipped is not.

Data breach reporting is a highly-sensitive process. Companies know it’s their obligation to inform victims. But going public about the breach can make it harder to clean up the problem and catch the perpetrators. It’s also a major public relations blow to the brand. And since the SEC has guidelines but not federal rules about reporting, delays and excuses are common.

That may be understandable, but that doesn’t make it acceptable. Reporting is an ethical obligation and also a legal liability for companies. Companies that wait weeks, months, or even years to report breaches potentially compound the damage done to victims. If and when those victims choose to go to court, they have grounds to demand much larger settlements. The growth of the cybersecurity insurance industry is largely due to the growth in size and frequency of these settlements.

It’s easy to conclude that companies should report the breach as quickly and completely as possible. Unfortunately, it’s not that easy when so much is at stake. Following these best practices to approach breach notification systematically:

1. Understand Your Legal Obligation – All states have laws requiring reporting, including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. There may also be other local, state, or federal laws that inform the reporting process. Study these laws in advance of any breach, and determine exactly when they apply and what they mandate. In some cases the breach must be reported within 72 hours of discovery.

2. Notify Law Enforcement – This is mandatory ASAP after a data breach. Even if the extent of the breach/victims is unknown, law enforcement must be aware of the incident. Once law enforcement is involved there are professional investigators pursuing the hackers. Contact local officials first. If they cannot help they will recommend you to state or federal officials.
   

3. Coordinate the Response – An inconsistent and disorganized response is just as bad as a late response. Pick someone to be the spokesperson, and make sure the message is consistent in public statements, on social media, and in official documentation. It’s possible to make the situation worse if victims are notified but not notified completely or accurately.

4. Consider Notification Options – The preferred way of notifying victims is through traditional mail. In special circumstances, however, companies are allowed to send out email notifications. Look at the cost of notifications based on the scale of the incident. Then determine how to directly notify victims and how to publicize the incident generally, Most companies also include resources on their website, issue a press release, and make spokespeople available to the media.

If the data breach notification process sounds unpleasant your interpretation is accurate. It’s a necessary evil for companies that suffer from a cyber incident. Unfortunately, avoiding these incidents is almost impossible. The strategy that more companies are taking is to plan for the worst early. Make a plan for responding to an incident, including in-depth details about notification. It may not be able to spare a company embarrassment, but it can spare them expense.