TecOnDeck | July 2025: Identity and Security at the heart of digital change

In a world where identity identity has become the new gold, this month's tech news takes us from exciting innovations to ingenious threats. Get ready for a fast-paced tour of why digital identity and cybersecurity digital identity and cybersecurity were essential topics this month - let's get to it!

Blockchain and the new digital identity in fintech

Digital trust has become both an asset and a vulnerability. It's no wonder that digital identity based on the blockchain is growing by leaps and bounds: the global blockchain identity market would grow from $1.1 billion in 2024 to nearly $119 billion in 2032. Why so much interest? Because decentralized solutions promise to put people in control of their data and reduce fraud. Concepts such as self-sovereign identity (SSI), non fungible tokens (NFTs) or even soulbound tokens (non-transferable tokens linked to a person) are redefining how we handle credentials: imagine validating your age of majority without revealing your date of birth, or using an NFT as a digital banking card.

We already see concrete examples: banks in Europe that reduced data breach attempts by 85% by using blockchain in their secure transactions, or startups getting millions in funding to fight synthetic fraud with AI and blockchain.or startups getting millions in funding to fight synthetic fraud with AI and blockchain. Digital identity is the new battlegroundand also the new gold mine, where fintech and cybersecurity converge. (Source: AInvest)

Intelligent identity protection: Okta enhances adaptive MFA

Talking about the security of digital identities would not be complete without improvements in authentication. This month, Okta (a leading identity management platform) announced a new layer of defense built into its adaptive multi-factor login. Specifically, Okta now offers Identity Threat Protection (with specialized detections that are triggered in conjunction with its adaptive MFA. adaptive MFA.What does this mean in practice? Imagine that an administrator or privileged user's account starts to exhibit suspicious behavior, attempted access from an unusual country, or abrupt device changes.

In short, multi-factor authentication is no longer static; it is now dynamic and "smart". dynamic and "intelligentcapable of reacting to threats in mid-flight. For enterprises, this promises to neutralize advanced attacks (such as session theft or lateral movement of intruders) without relying solely on the user. It is a further step towards a comfortable but secure login experience. but secure login experienceswhere technology works behind the scenes to ensure that only legitimate people - and no one else - access what they should. (Source: Okta)

Cybersecurity in the age of AI: the Achilles heel of SMEs

A recent article highlighted that, with advances in artificial intelligence, cybercrime has become more lethal and has already led to the closure of some 25,000 SMEs in one country alone. 

Contrary to what many people believe, digital attacks do not discriminate do not discriminate by size or sector: even if you are an SME in Colombia, El Salvador or ChileIf criminals find a breach, they will exploit it without mercy. The figures in Latin America are alarming: according to Kaspersky, 72% of SMEs in the region have suffered at least one cybersecurity incident, and often when they react to it, they are not aware of it.and often by the time they react it is already too lateWhen they react it is often too late, information, reputation or money has been compromised. In Colombia, for example, reports of cybercrime increased 23% in 2024 compared to the previous year.

The most common attacks include deepfakes, self-learning malware, hyper-personalized phishing... the list is growing. Experts warn that cybersecurity can no longer be a secondary or optional issue for companies. 

The good news is that, managed well, it can be a lever for growth: investing in protecting customer data, transactions and digital assets builds trust (a competitive differentiator) and avoids the huge costs of recovering from an incident. In the midst of 2025, security is the foundation on which even the smallest SME can innovate without fear. The AI era brings risks, yes, but with preparation, it can also bring opportunities for those who know how to turn cybersecurity into a strength and not an Achilles heel. (Source: Portfolio)

Malware hidden in plain sight: DNS trickery

And we close with a story worthy of a cyber spy movie: Can there be malware hiding in something as routine as DNS queries? As it turns out, yes. Researchers discovered that hackers are using DNS records - normally seen as harmless - to hide and assemble malware directly in the memory of devices. The trick is to fragment the malicious code, store it in TXT records under controlled subdomains and then reconstitute it through simple DNS queries, evading almost all traditional detection systems.

This technique, although based on older methods such as DNS tunneling, represents a modern and ingenious threat. Most organizations do not inspect their DNS traffic with the same rigor as web or email, making the protocol an ideal blind spot. The lesson is clear: no channel is trivial. Including DNS in the security strategy is urgent if we want to close those invisible doors that attackers are masterfully learning to exploit. (Source: arsTechnica)

Did you find these trends useful? At TecOnDeck will continue to monitor the identity and cybersecurity landscape month after month in this fresh style. Until the next installment of the most relevant of the month and remember: the digital identity you protect today will be your competitive advantage tomorrow!