The number of connected devices worldwide is skyrocketing. At the end of 2024, there were 17.7 billion active IoT devices, a figure that is projected to more than double to over 40 billion over the next 10 years, according to Transforma Insights. While this growth opens up exciting new possibilities, it also creates serious security risks you can’t afford to ignore.
The stark reality is that 54 percent of organizations suffer from attempted cyberattacks on IoT devices every week, according to Check Point Research cited in the Beecham Research Report, “Locking in Value with IoT Security.” That means if you’re deploying connected devices at scale, the odds are increasingly stacked against you.
As IoT attacks grow in frequency and sophistication, traditional cybersecurity measures simply aren’t enough. The sheer scale and complexity of today’s IoT networks demand a smarter, multilayered approach to security built for distributed environments and dynamic threats.
In this article, you’ll learn the top strategies for securing your IoT deployments, giving you the insights you need to build a resilient security foundation.
Prioritize Security in Choosing an IoT Connectivity Provider
Your connectivity layer is more than just a pipeline for data; it’s your first line of defense. Whether you’re using Wi-Fi, LoRaWAN, satellite, or cellular, the way devices connect to your systems directly impacts your ability to monitor, secure, and manage your IoT deployment.
Some networks were never designed with IoT in mind and may lack basic protections like access control, traffic filtering, or segmentation. Others may be cost-effective but offer little visibility into device behavior or active threats. Without secure connectivity, even the best endpoint protections can be undermined.
That’s why it’s essential to choose a connectivity model—and provider—that not only delivers reliable service but also supports layered security across the full IoT stack. That includes built-in protections, scalable monitoring tools, and the ability to enforce security policies at the network level.
Understand What Makes Cellular IoT Security Different
When selecting a cellular IoT connectivity provider, it’s critical to look beyond generic claims of “built-in security.” Encryption, firewalls and virtual private networks (VPNs) are valuable for network infrastructure, but they’re not enough for the unique demands of cellular IoT.
Many providers use encryption or secure transport layers, like VPN, which primarily protects data in transit. While these measures are important, they typically don’t have the visibility and behavioral controls needed to detect anomalous activity or lateral movement within the IoT environment.
Firewalls and secure tunnels may shield network protocols, but they can’t assess whether a device is behaving suspiciously or communicating with unauthorized destinations. In cellular IoT environments, where devices are distributed, headless, and often in the field, traditional tools can fall short.
Instead, look for a provider like Aeris that offers security at the network layer and incorporates visibility, security, policy enforcement and malware protection in a single platform. This means being able to spot unexpected device behavior, restrict communication to approved endpoints and enable action when something goes wrong.
Compare Network Security vs. Device/Application Security
Understanding the difference between network security and device/application security is essential.
- Network security focuses on monitoring and controlling traffic between IoT devices, systems, and external networks. It includes tools like firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and traffic filtering, that help block unauthorized access and detect threats.
- Device and application security refers to protections built into the physical device and its firmware, such as credential management, secure boot, and update controls.
While device-level defenses matter, many IoT devices are limited in processing power, rarely updated, or deployed in hard-to-reach environments—making them tough to secure. That’s why network-level visibility and security are essential. With the right intelligence and controls in place, you can detect suspicious behavior, isolate compromised devices, and protect your deployment even when the devices themselves fall short.
Leverage AI to Boost IoT Security
AI is revolutionizing IoT security. With millions of IoT devices generating immense volumes of data, manual threat detection methods are no longer enough. AI and machine learning algorithms can analyze traffic patterns, identify irregular behavior and detect anomalies that may indicate potential IoT threats—all in real time.
For instance, AI can learn the normal behavior of your connected devices and quickly flag deviations that suggest compromised firmware, unauthorized access, device spoofing, or even botnet activity. This level of predictive threat protection helps you not only react to incidents faster but also prevent them from causing damage.
Extend IoT Security to the Edge
As more IoT data is processed at the edge—on gateways, routers, and localized compute nodes—your security strategy must extend beyond centralized infrastructure. These edge environments are often physically exposed, resource-constrained, and intermittently connected, making them vulnerable to attack.
To stay secure, you need to protect the entire edge layer with zero-trust access, encrypted communications, secure boot, and remote monitoring. The closer your data gets to the source, the more critical it becomes to secure it right there—at the edge.
Implement Secure Authentication and Access Control
To secure your IoT environment during commissioning or administration, you need strong authentication and access control mechanisms. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) and biometric authentication can significantly enhance security by ensuring that only authorized users and devices can access your network. Role-based access control (RBAC) further restricts access based on user roles, minimizing the risk of unauthorized access.
Robust authentication methods, including MFA in granting admin access, are crucial for securing your IoT devices.
Beyond securing human-oriented interactions, there is machine-to-machine (M2M) authentication that will increase the security between IoT devices. Methods like certificate-based authentication, API keys, OAuth tokens, cryptographic certificates, hardware security modules (HSMs) and other processes can establish secure communication between devices.
By enforcing access control and device authentication policies, you can reduce the risk of breaches and protect sensitive data.
Automate Firmware and Software Updates
Keeping your IoT device firmware and software up-to-date is critical for closing security gaps. Automating updates helps ensure your devices are always running the latest, most secure versions of their software. This proactive approach can prevent many security issues before they become serious threats.
Deploy Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS)
Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) are a critical layer of defense in your IoT security strategy. By continuously monitoring network traffic and device behavior, IDS can detect unusual patterns that may indicate a security breach. Real-time alerts allow for swift responses, mitigating potential damage.
Considering that the most common security threats to IoT are malware (49%), human error (39%), and DDoS attacks (22%), effective IDS is essential to safeguard your IoT environment from these prevalent risks. With continuous monitoring, IDS helps you detect and respond to threats in real time before they escalate.
Add Secure Boot and Storage Mechanisms
Secure boot processes ensure that only authenticated firmware can run on your IoT devices, protecting against unauthorized or tampered firmware. Additionally, encrypting data stored on your devices helps safeguard sensitive information from unauthorized access.
Be sure to secure data at rest (stored on the device and servers) and also data in motion (transmitted over connectivity). Ensuring robust encryption during transmission is essential to prevent data breaches and maintain the integrity of sensitive information throughout its lifecycle. Secure boot mechanisms help protect your IoT devices from firmware-level attacks. Encrypting data ensures the confidentiality and integrity of your information whether it’s stored or in transit.
Network Segmentation and Firewalls
Segmenting your network into isolated zones can significantly enhance security. Firewalls play a crucial role in controlling traffic between these segments, preventing unauthorized access and limiting the potential spread of malware.
It’s also important to monitor where your devices are sending and receiving data. Many non-consumer IoT applications have devices that should only send and receive data from a designated application server. That means ensuring your devices don’t communicate with unknown sites on the public Internet, which could risk compromise.
Our solution, Aeris IoT WatchtowerTM, is designed to look for and report on these kinds of anomalies and suspicious activities across your IoT deployment.
Don’t Overlook Physical Security Measures
Physical security is often overlooked but is essential for protecting your IoT devices from tampering, theft, or other physical threats. Using tamper-resistant hardware and secure enclosures can prevent unauthorized physical access to devices.
Physical protections help you block unauthorized physical access, tampering, or theft, especially in remote or public deployments. Tamper-resistant designs and secure enclosures add another layer of defense to your overall IoT security strategy.
Meet Compliance and Regulatory Requirements for Securing IoT
As IoT adoption grows across industries, you’re under increasing pressure to meet evolving regulations that demand strong security and data protection. Whether you’re in healthcare, transportation, logistics, or agriculture, falling short can lead to penalties, supply chain disruption, brand damage, or lost customer trust.
In the U.S., laws like California’s SB-327, FSMA 204, and security frameworks like the NIST Cybersecurity Framework are shaping how connected devices must be secured—from authentication to data transmission. In Europe, the EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA), NIS2, and GDPR add strict mandates for privacy, breach reporting, and secure-by-design practices. And, of course, in Japan, the new JC-STAR requirements are echoing protections similar to the CRA.
But compliance isn’t just a legal requirement; it’s a risk management strategy. Implementing standards-based security like encrypted communication, identity management, and firmware protection reduces your chances of a breach and makes incident response more manageable.
Being audit-ready also builds trust. As supply chains become more data-driven, your partners and customers want assurance that you’re protecting their information. Strong compliance practices help you stand out in a competitive, interconnected market.
Looking for a deeper dive? Explore our essential IoT compliance guide for a breakdown of today’s most pressing regulatory challenges and how to prepare for them effectively.
Adopt Security Awareness and Training
Educating your team about IoT security best practices and potential threats is essential for fostering a culture of security. Regular training programs can help your employees recognize and respond to security incidents, reducing the risk of human error. Security awareness and training programs help you reduce the risk of insider threats and human errors that can compromise your IoT network. A well-informed workforce is one of your strongest lines of defense in a comprehensive IoT security strategy.
Key Takeaways on IoT Security
Implementing these top strategies remains essential to strengthening your IoT security posture in 2025 and beyond. As your IoT environment grows more complex with AI, edge computing, and global connectivity, you must prioritize security-by-design, security-by-default and security-by demand methodologies (learn more about these concepts in the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)’s Secure by Design guidance), layered security frameworks, and intelligent monitoring systems to stay ahead of evolving cyberthreats.
Equally important is maintaining strong physical security, vetting third-party vendors, and regularly training your staff to recognize and respond to security risks—ensuring a truly holistic approach to IoT protection.
Today, securing IoT is about much more than device-level defense. It requires safeguarding interconnected systems and the critical data your devices generate. By taking a proactive, end-to-end security stance, you can reduce vulnerabilities and build resilient IoT infrastructures capable of withstanding emerging threats in an increasingly connected world.
Aeris IoT Watchtower™: Securing IoT with Proven Results
As your IoT deployment expands across locations, networks, and use cases, maintaining security at scale gets more complex. Aeris IoT Watchtower helps you meet that challenge with visibility into device behavior, AI-powered anomaly detection, and real-time policy enforcement—all built directly into your cellular connectivity.
Aeris IoT Watchtower continuously monitors your IoT traffic to identify unusual activity such as rogue connections, abnormal data usage, or device spoofing. It operates inline—without the need for agents or extra hardware—and supports remote diagnostics and policy controls even over limited or unreliable connections. That makes it ideal for managing security across edge environments and mobile fleets.
Whether you’re preparing for FSMA 204, aligning with NIST guidelines, or ensuring CRA compliance, Aeris IoT Watchtower provides the tools and safeguards to support your efforts. It’s designed to help you secure connected devices, streamline operations, and meet evolving regulatory demands—without needing to redesign your firmware or infrastructure.
Key Features:
- AI- and ML-based anomaly detection
- Real-time device and traffic monitoring
- Zero-trust policy enforcement
- Inline operation with no device agents required
- Remote diagnostics and SIM-level access control
- Support for compliance with FSMA 204, NIST, CRA
Aeris IoT Watchtower Enables DeltaTrak to Protect IoT Devices Around the World
One example of how the Aeris IoT Watchtower service delivers in the real world is DeltaTrak—a leader in cold-chain monitoring. The company used Aeris IoT Watchtower to secure and scale its global IoT deployment while staying ahead of compliance mandates like FSMA 204.
Built on a robust cellular platform with AI-powered anomaly detection and zero-trust traffic controls, Aeris IoT Watchtower helped DeltaTrak connect and protect its global fleet of cold-chain IoT sensors. The platform enables malware prevention, seamless SIM reprovisioning, and regulatory compliance—all without requiring a firmware overhaul.
Check out the entire case study on how Aeris helped DeltaTrak.
Secure Your IoT with Aeris IoT Watchtower™ – Protect What’s Connected.
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