Organizations Continue to Fail at IoT Security, and the Consequences Are Growing

The internet of things (IoT) is taking over the world — or, at least, it seems that way. According to Gartner, we can expect more than 20 billion connected IoT devices by 2020, up from just shy of 9 billion devices in 2017. Yet as the IoT takes over the world, IoT security remains, well, pitiful. Connected devices emerged as one of the biggest attack vectors of 2018. While organizations are finally recognizing that the IoT is a threat to their overall cybersecurity, they are failing to ensure that the networks and data generated by IoT devices remain protected. One reason why the IoT became one of the biggest attack vectors of 2018 was its invisibility on enterprise networks. According to a report from Gemalto, 48 percent of businesses admitted they are unable to detect the devices on their network. However, consumers expect businesses to have a handle on IoT security. It’s become a sort of paradox for businesses: They have to protect what they cannot see on their networks.