Why IoT Security Is Harder Than IT Security

When most people think about cybersecurity, they picture enterprise IT: centralized servers, managed networks, and dedicated teams that patch and monitor systems on a set schedule. In those environments, standards and processes create a predictable baseline of protection. The assumption is that if an organization can secure its IT systems, it should be able to secure its IoT devices in the same way.

The reality is far more complicated. Securing IoT devices is fundamentally different, and the risks are significantly greater.

Fragmented Ecosystems vs. Centralized Control

Enterprise IT benefits from uniformity. Corporate systems run on standardized platforms, fall under service contracts, and follow consistent patch cycles. Security teams can apply updates across thousands of endpoints at once, with reasonable assurance that devices are compliant.

IoT environments, by contrast, are anything but uniform. Devices are purpose-built and resource-constrained. They’re deployed everywhere from hospitals to banks to industrial facilities, often without centralized oversight. Each runs its own firmware, has its own update mechanism, and may never receive attention again once it’s in the field.

This fragmentation makes it nearly impossible to maintain consistent protection. The result is an ecosystem where risk is inherently higher than in enterprise IT.

The Patchwork Problem

Even when update infrastructure exists, devices often remain unpatched. Businesses lack incentives to push updates, vendors don’t guarantee long lifecycles, and firmware processes may not confirm whether updates succeed.

Anyone who has seen a consumer IoT device quietly flashing “firmware update needed” knows how common this is. The device keeps working, so the update is ignored. At scale, this results in a massive installed base of products running outdated code, perfect targets for attackers.

Why It Matters

An unpatched IoT device isn’t just a nuisance; it’s a liability. Attackers know these devices are overlooked, and they actively probe for weaknesses in old firmware. All it takes is one forgotten device, one weak link, to put an entire ecosystem at risk.

A single compromise can:

• Expose sensitive data — everything from medical records to financial transactions often flows through IoT devices.
  
• Provide attackers a foothold into larger systems, where they can pivot into corporate networks or cloud environments.
  
• Trigger regulatory consequences under frameworks like the EU Cyber Resilience Act or the U.S. Cyber Trust Mark, which increasingly require manufacturers to prove ongoing vulnerability management.
  
• Erode customer trust — once a breach hits the headlines, recovery is slow and expensive.

For manufacturers, the stakes are higher than ever. What might look like “just one outdated sensor” could be the starting point for a breach that costs millions in damages and years of reputational repair.

Closing the Gap

The good news is that organizations don’t have to accept this risk as inevitable. There are clear, practical steps that reduce exposure and build long-term resilience.

The first step is visibility. You can’t protect what you can’t see, and many manufacturers ship products without a full accounting of their software components. By generating and managing a software bill of materials (SBOM), you gain the insight needed to track vulnerabilities across the entire lifecycle of a device.

The second is continuous testing. A one-time security review isn’t enough in an environment where new vulnerabilities are discovered daily. Firmware analysis, binary scanning, and penetration testing all play a role in uncovering weaknesses before attackers do. Just as important is retesting after fixes to validate that issues have been fully addressed.

Finally, there’s compliance and accountability. Regulations like the EU Cyber Resilience Act and the U.S. Cyber Trust Mark are making proactive security mandatory. Manufacturers who invest in secure development practices now aren’t just avoiding penalties — they’re differentiating themselves in the market by proving that security is part of their brand promise.

IoT security may be harder than IT security, but it’s not unsolvable. With the right visibility, testing, and governance, manufacturers can close the gap, protect their ecosystems, and earn the trust of the customers who rely on their products every day.

Learn More

Explore Finite State’s platform to see how we help manufacturers secure their connected devices across the full lifecycle.