Securing the IoT: Proactive Strategies to Beat Emerging Threats

On World IoT Day, April 9, we celebrate how far the Internet of Things has come. The installed base of connected devices grew from 15 billion in 2015 to 30 billion in 2020 and is projected to hit 75 billion by 2025.

These devices generate insights that drive productivity, solve complex problems, and unlock new business opportunities across every sector. Yet, the very connectivity that fuels innovation also expands the attack surface, making robust security essential.

Security can no longer be an afterthought. We must prevent the IoT from becoming an “Internet of Threats” by building defenses that keep pace with deployment.

Insights from the 19th edition of IBM’s Global C‑suite Study—conducted by the IBM Institute for Business Value—highlight several critical gaps:

• Limited awareness of IoT security. Executives often lack a clear understanding of the risks and fail to establish formal security programs. Traditional IT‑centric frameworks and organizational structures do not address the reliability and predictability needs of always‑on, mission‑critical devices.
• Slowly emerging standards. Adoption of Centre for Internet Security (CIS) controls, including authorized device inventories, built‑in diagnostics, and hardened hardware and firmware, remains uneven.

Notably, 36% of surveyed executives identified securing an IoT platform as their organization’s top challenge. Many are deploying new devices faster than they can secure them, and only a minority of industrial and utilities firms have fully implemented IoT‑specific security technologies.

What can you do to stay ahead?

1. Launch a formal IoT security program. Adopt an operational excellence model that aligns people, processes, and technology. Build internal cyber‑security talent and raise awareness of IoT risks across the organization.
2. Profile every endpoint. Identify, inventory, and continuously monitor each device. Define clear SLAs for partner‑led deployments and create a cross‑functional security team that includes IT security, engineering, operations, and control‑system vendors.
3. Act proactively. Conduct regular breach simulations, maintain real‑time field and plant situational awareness, and enable 24/7 monitoring from a security operations center.

On this World IoT Day, take decisive action to close the security gap and build an unassailable network.

For more details and to download IBM’s 19th edition of the Global C‑suite Study, click here.

James Murphy, Global Leader – IoT, Security & Blockchain, IBM Watson and Cloud Platform