IoT cyber-attacks on the rise

18 November 2024

Wireless Logic highlights key security concerns among organisations and reveals a strong demand for enhanced security features from IoT connectivity providers, as enterprises seek to better protect their connected environments.

The report sheds light on the challenges of deploying global IoT solutions and the opportunities these present to their connectivity partners, with 89% saying the threats of cybersecurity breaches, or issues related to compliance as a result of cybersecurity issues, represent a pain point for their organisation. Other key findings include:

• 88% of all respondents expect connectivity providers to offer tools for monitoring device traffic
• 48% of all respondents say the security of devices and environments is among the top five challenges when scaling up cellular IoT connectivity deployments
• 47% of current cellular IoT adopters expect network threat detection and mitigation services from their connectivity providers
• 45% of current cellular IoT adopters hope for device-to-cloud integration and authentication, making these the second and fourth most selected value-added services

“The number and type of cyberattacks against the IoT are steadily rising and businesses need to protect themselves against security breaches and the resultant operational, financial and reputational issues,” said Iain Davidson, senior product manager at Wireless Logic. “As enterprises continue to integrate connected devices into their operations, security has understandably become a top concern. In IoT deployments, enterprises need more than just connectivity – they expect their partners to provide value-added services such as end-to-end security and privacy, network anomaly and threat detection, and robust device identity management (e.g., IoT SAFE) to safeguard their investments.”

The report also points to the role of eSIM technology in strengthening IoT security. Among businesses deploying cellular IoT, 50% chose eSIM to serve as a security root of trust, in support of their broader service development goals.

“IoT security isn't optional, it’s foundational,” said Davidson. “You can’t be a little bit secure or a little bit reliable. Governments and enterprise buyers now demand high availability and cyber resilience, placing significant expectations on IoT providers, OEMs, solution providers, and enterprises alike. Even organisations that have adopted best practices must continuously uphold both defensive and proactive measures to mitigate risks across their IoT device fleets, communication networks, and the data and application layers."