IoT Device Adoption Fuels Rising Cybersecurity Threats: What Governments Must Do

By Dan Pearson, CEO of Canopy Tools and former army officer, Canopy explores how the rapid expansion of IoT devices is creating a new frontier for cyber‑attacks.

Every day, approximately 7.7 million IoT devices connect to the internet. Many of them are either known to be vulnerable or lack any security controls. Worse, proof‑of‑concept malware that can roam behind firewalls—20 times more devices than those exposed to the internet—has been documented.

According to a 2019 Symantec study, 96 % of targeted attacks are driven by intelligence gathering. Attackers exploit everything from smart home sensors to smartphones, routers, and even Apple software, turning everyday devices into weapons.

In 2018, 93 % of malware was polymorphic, constantly reshaping its code to evade detection. The 2019 Webroot Threat Report found that over half of infected devices were reinfected within the same year. These statistics show that IoT is a weak link in the cyber‑security chain.

“Cyber warfare is a game‑changer,” Pearson says. “By infiltrating the most secure networks through unsecured IoT, attackers undermine operational capability and cause devastating damage.”

Drawing on military experience, Pearson recommends that governments deploy visibility solutions such as Canopy Manage. The latest iteration offers real‑time asset health, lifecycle tracking, and AI‑driven anomaly detection for smarter security and data protection.

With DBS Asian Insights predicting the IoT installed base will grow from 6.3 million units in 2016 to 1.25 billion by 2030, the race to protect national infrastructure has only just begun.