How to Revert an IoT Device Back to a Hardened State in the Event of a Ransomware Attack

Most Internet of Things (IoT) devices don’t store sensitive information or run the standard operating systems typically targeted in ransomware attacks. However, that doesn’t mean ransomware attacks don’t impact IoT devices; from bricking or locking devices in a nonfunctional state to using them as an entry point to infect higher-value systems (e.g., file servers or Electronic Health Record (EHR) platforms in a hospital), ransomware is just as risky for IoT devices as traditional IT assets. 

For organizations with a robust fleet of IoT devices, maintaining a hardened device state is crucial for high security and minimizing the impact of attempted ransomware attacks. Despite this, because IoT devices lack built-in security configurations, many organizations still struggle to implement a robust device security strategy. 

While no organization wants to be the target of a ransomware attack, implementing a robust security strategy for your IoT ecosystem is critical should the worst happen, and potentially compromised devices can no longer be trusted. Without a secure, known-good baseline in place beforehand, teams may struggle to determine what’s been altered, what’s still vulnerable, and how to bring devices back online safely.

The Intersection of IoT and Ransomware

While IoT devices aren’t classic ransomware targets, they’re increasingly part of the attack chain as devices become integrated into every facet of life and business. There are billions of connected devices, with the NIST estimating there will be 75 billion IoT devices by 2025. Because IoT devices are both prolific and not inherently secure—most devices include default credentials and lack encryption or authentication mechanisms—they are prime targets for malicious actors. An insecure IoT device can easily act as an initial entry point into a network, and from there, a malicious actor can move laterally, accessing sensitive data and deploying ransomware.

When exploited by ransomware attackers, IoT devices can become part of large botnets, particularly due to vulnerabilities in their firmware or network management interfaces. In 2016, the infamous Mirai botnet infected hundreds of thousands of IoT devices by exploiting weaknesses such as default usernames and passwords or outdated firmware. Once infected, bot herders used the devices to launch massive DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks, including a record-breaking (for the time anyway) 1.2 Tbps DDoS attack on DNS provider Dyn.

Hardening IoT devices is essential to protect them against disruptive attacks like ransomware. Devices are less likely to be compromised when they are in a hardened state (and their firmware is kept up-to-date). Implementing a known good baseline configuration also ensures that the device can be quickly returned to its secure state if an attack does happen.

Why Reverting to a Hardened State Is Crucial After a Ransomware Attack

Ransomware attacks continue to grind normal business operations to a halt. According to the 2025 Verizon DBIR, 44% of breaches showed ransomware was present, a marked increase from previous years. In addition to encrypted files, devices may be rendered inaccessible, making recovery challenging without having a secure backup.

Creating a secure backup of critical business systems is a long-standing best practice for traditional IT assets to accelerate recovery after a ransomware attack, ideally without paying a ransom demand. Businesses may fail to realize that IoT devices should also have a secure backup to ensure teams can quickly and easily restore devices to their last good state. 

Additionally, a speedy recovery post-ransomware attack also helps with regulatory compliance. Standards like NIST 800-53 and ISO/IEC 27001 outline the necessity for effective recovery procedures, including returning to a secure baseline configuration.

Steps to Revert a Device to a Hardened State After a Ransomware Attack

Recovering from a ransomware attack requires a careful, systematic process that returns devices to their hardened state and checks them in case of further compromise. Unfortunately, recovery efforts often take longer than anticipated. In its 2024 Ransomware Risk Report, Semperis reported that 49% of survey respondents needed one to seven days to restore minimal IT functionality, while 12% took even longer.

The following is a non-exhaustive list of the steps for recovering IoT assets after an attack:

Isolate the Infected Device

Once you confirm the presence of ransomware, power down and disconnect any infected devices from the network to prevent the ransomware from spreading. 

Assess the Damage

Part of the incident response process is identifying the extent of the attack to help determine the recovery path. For example, were files encrypted, or were the device’s firmware and settings altered? Suppose an impacted device was also internet accessible. In that case, internal teams will work to identify if any data was exfiltrated, which may trigger reporting requirements if any PII or PHI was lost.

Not all organizations have incident response services in-house; more typically, they will call on their contracted, on-demand incident responders.

Restore to a Known Good Configuration

Restoring IoT assets from backups is a different process. For IoT devices, teams should work to restore devices to their last known good state. Organizations that use an IoT security platform can easily take a snapshot of the device’s approved baseline as part of their IoT security and change management process, simplifying restoration in the event of a ransomware attack.

Apply Security Patches and Updates

As a best practice, after restoring from backup, immediately apply the latest security patches to address any vulnerabilities the malicious actor may have exploited to gain access. An IoT security platform can help check for patches and even deploy them automatically.

Reconfigure the Device for Hardening

Ensure all default credentials are changed, unnecessary services are disabled, and the device is reconfigured to meet the original hardened state. For example, if an IoT network camera was exploited during the attack, teams may need to disable remote administration and ensure encryption is enabled for all communication channels. A security platform capable of password management for IoT may be helpful during this phase.

Monitor and Test for Malicious Activity

Once recovery is complete, continuously monitor the device for any signs of lingering malware or unauthorized access. An IoT security platform should understand the device’s known behavior and be able to immediately alert on any suspicious activity.

The Role of an IoT Security Platform

An IoT security platform plays a critical role in defending against ransomware, not by directly blocking encryption payloads as an endpoint protection platform may, but by providing organizations with insights into the visibility gaps that ransomware often exploits in IoT-heavy environments.

Ransomware thrives on blind spots, and an IoT security platform provides automatic discovery at scale of all devices on the network, allowing organizations to understand the entirety of their attack surface. With that knowledge, they can take actionable steps to reduce risk across all devices. A key risk reduction step includes fighting back against configuration drift—which leaves devices vulnerable to compromise—by ensuring that all devices are hardened and running a known secure configuration.

By leveraging an IoT security platform to gain a deep understanding of the entire IoT ecosystem, organizations can ensure that devices are recoverable in a worst-case scenario. 

Harden IoT Devices and Simplify Recovery Efforts With Asimily

Ransomware attacks are highly descriptive events, but they don’t have to keep your business offline. Reverting a device to a hardened state is an essential recovery step after a ransomware attack. To protect your IoT ecosystem, implement a robust IoT change management and backup strategy to ensure you can swiftly revert devices to a hardened state after a ransomware attack.

The Asimily platform has long been purpose-built for connected device security. Now, with Asimily Configuration Control, organizations gain access to a “digital time machine” that ensures their connected device fleet continues operating in an approved, known good state. With Configuration Control, teams can quickly and easily compare any device to its known good state, highlighting any changes and effortlessly reducing the risk of configuration drift. As an added benefit, teams can set meaningful alerts for when changes do occur, reducing alert fatigue and enabling near real-time decision-making and response. 

Contact us today to learn more about Asimily Configuration Control.