The IoT Devices Most Vulnerable to Cyberattacks

October marks Cybersecurity Awareness Month, making it the perfect time to examine one of the most pressing security challenges facing organizations today: vulnerable IoT devices. As connected devices proliferate across every sector, from healthcare to manufacturing to critical infrastructure, they’re creating an expanded attack surface that threat actors are increasingly eager to exploit.

According to research, the number of IoT devices globally now exceeds billions, with projections suggesting continued exponential growth. However, this expansion comes with significant security implications. Many of these devices were designed with functionality as the primary consideration, often at the expense of robust security features. The result is a vast ecosystem of connected devices that can serve as entry points for cyberattacks, data breaches, and operational disruptions.

Understanding which IoT devices are most vulnerable and why they’re targeted helps organizations prioritize their security efforts and implement more effective risk mitigation strategies.

The Growing Threat Landscape for IoT Devices

IoT devices face a unique set of security challenges that distinguish them from traditional IT assets. Unlike servers or workstations that receive regular security updates and have dedicated teams monitoring them, many IoT devices operate in the background with minimal oversight. This creates an environment where vulnerabilities can persist unpatched for extended periods.

Threat actors recognize this weakness. They actively scan networks for IoT devices with known vulnerabilities, default credentials, or exposed ports. Once compromised, these devices can be weaponized for various malicious purposes, including:

• Launching distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks
• Establishing persistent access to corporate networks
• Exfiltrating sensitive data
• Moving laterally to compromise more critical systems
• Deploying ransomware across the network

The consequences extend beyond immediate security incidents. Organizations face potential regulatory penalties, reputational damage, operational downtime, and significant remediation costs.

Most Vulnerable IoT Device Categories

Medical IoT Devices (IoMT)

Healthcare delivery organizations (HDOs) operate some of the most vulnerable IoT devices in any sector. Medical IoT devices, or IoMT, include everything from connected infusion pumps and patient monitors to imaging equipment and laboratory analyzers. These devices often run on legacy operating systems that manufacturers no longer support, making them impossible to patch against newly discovered vulnerabilities.

The challenge is compounded by the fact that many medical devices were deployed years ago with the expectation of a 10-15 year lifecycle. During that time, the threat landscape has evolved dramatically, but the devices themselves often cannot be updated without risking their clinical functionality or voiding warranties.

Common vulnerabilities in medical IoT devices include:

• Hardcoded or default credentials that cannot be changed
• Unencrypted data transmission, exposing patient health information
• Outdated operating systems (Windows XP, Windows 7) with known exploits
• Open ports and services that aren’t necessary for device operation
• Lack of authentication mechanisms for accessing device interfaces

The stakes in healthcare are particularly high. A compromised medical device doesn’t just threaten data security—it can potentially endanger patient safety if attackers gain the ability to manipulate device settings or disrupt care delivery.

IP Cameras and Surveillance Systems

IP cameras represent one of the most frequently compromised categories of IoT devices. Organizations deploy these cameras for physical security monitoring, but they often become the weakest link in cybersecurity. Many IP cameras ship with default usernames and passwords that users often never change, making them easily compromised by attackers.

Once an attacker gains access to an IP camera, they can:

• Monitor sensitive areas and gather intelligence
• Use the camera as a pivot point to access the broader network
• Recruit the device into a botnet for launching attacks
• Access stored video footage
• Manipulate camera feeds to hide malicious activity

IP cameras are particularly attractive targets because they’re often deployed in large numbers and connected to network segments that also contain more valuable assets. A camera in a hospital might share network access with medical devices, while a camera in a manufacturing facility might have visibility into operational technology networks.

Building Automation and HVAC Systems

Smart building systems control critical functions like heating, ventilation, air conditioning, lighting, and physical access controls. These systems have become increasingly connected to enable remote monitoring and management, but this connectivity introduces security risks.

Building automation systems often feature:

• Web-based interfaces accessible from the internet
• Legacy protocols that lack encryption
• Integration with other building systems, creating potential attack chains
• Limited security monitoring and logging capabilities
• Vendor access for remote maintenance, which can be exploited

Attackers who compromise building automation systems can cause significant operational disruption. They might manipulate HVAC settings to damage temperature-sensitive equipment or inventory, disable physical access controls to gain unauthorized entry, or use these systems as staging points for more sophisticated attacks.

Industrial IoT and OT Devices

Manufacturing facilities and critical infrastructure operators rely heavily on operational technology (OT) devices and industrial IoT sensors. These devices monitor production processes, control machinery, and ensure operational efficiency. However, many were deployed before cybersecurity was a primary concern, and they’re now connected to networks that bridge to traditional IT systems.

Industrial IoT vulnerabilities include:

• Protocols designed for closed networks now exposed to broader connectivity
• Devices that cannot support modern security controls without impacting performance
• Limited ability to deploy security patches without causing production downtime
• Specialized knowledge required to secure devices properly
• Long replacement cycles that keep vulnerable devices in service for decades

The consequences of compromised industrial IoT devices extend beyond data theft. Attackers can manipulate production processes, cause equipment damage, or create safety hazards for workers.

Smart Office Devices

The modern office environment includes numerous IoT devices: smart printers, conference room systems, digital signage, environmental sensors, and even smart coffee makers. While these devices enhance convenience and productivity, they also expand the attack surface.

Smart office devices commonly suffer from:

• Infrequent or nonexistent firmware updates
• Default administrative credentials
• Unnecessary network services and open ports
• Poor isolation from critical business systems

These devices might seem low-risk individually, but attackers often use them as initial footholds to explore the network and identify more valuable targets. A compromised printer with network visibility can reveal information about document flows, user behavior, and network topology.

Network Infrastructure Devices

Routers, switches, and wireless access points form the backbone of network connectivity, but many IoT-specific network devices lack the security hardening found in enterprise-grade equipment. Small office and home office (SOHO) routers are particularly problematic when deployed in business environments.e

Network device vulnerabilities enable attackers to:

• Intercept and modify network traffic
• Redirect users to malicious websites
• Harvest credentials and sensitive data
• Establish persistent access that survives device reboots
• Use the device as a command and control node

The widespread deployment of network devices and their central role in connectivity makes them high-value targets for sophisticated adversaries.

Why These Devices Remain Vulnerable

Understanding why certain IoT devices remain vulnerable despite the known risks requires examining several systemic challenges.

Secure by Design Gaps

Many IoT manufacturers prioritize rapid development and competitive pricing over security. Devices ship with minimal security features, expecting that organizations will implement network-level protections. This approach fails to account for the reality that many organizations lack the expertise or resources to properly secure every device.

The concept of secure by design and secure by default remains more aspiration than reality in much of the IoT market. Until manufacturers face stronger incentives or requirements to build security into their products from inception, vulnerable devices will continue to proliferate.

Patch Management Challenges

Even when manufacturers release security updates, applying them to IoT devices presents significant challenges. Many devices require manual updates that IT teams struggle to coordinate, especially in large deployments. Some devices don’t support remote updates at all, requiring physical access to upgrade firmware.

Healthcare organizations face particular patch management challenges, as applying updates to medical devices often requires regulatory compliance checks and extensive testing to ensure clinical functionality isn’t affected. This can delay patches for months or even years, leaving devices vulnerable to known exploits.

Visibility and Discovery

Organizations can’t secure devices they don’t know about. Shadow IT remains a persistent problem in the IoT realm, with departments purchasing and deploying devices without involving central IT or security teams. These devices connect to the network and begin operating without anyone validating their security posture or tracking them in asset inventories.

Traditional network scanning approaches often struggle to accurately identify and classify IoT devices, especially those using proprietary protocols or unusual communication patterns. Without comprehensive visibility, security teams lack the foundation needed to implement effective protections.

Resource Constraints

Many IoT devices have limited processing power, memory, and energy resources. These constraints make it difficult to implement robust security controls like encryption, authentication, and monitoring without impacting device performance or battery life. Device manufacturers face difficult tradeoffs between security and functionality.

Long Lifecycles and Legacy Systems

Unlike smartphones or laptops that users replace every few years, many IoT devices remain in service for a decade or longer. This extended lifecycle means devices deployed with 2015-era security assumptions are still operating in today’s threat environment. Manufacturers typically provide support for only a fraction of the device’s operational life, leaving organizations to manage unsupported devices that can’t receive security updates.

How Asimily Addresses Cyber-Asset and Exposure Management

Asimily’s platform is purpose-built to help organizations identify, assess, and mitigate risks associated with vulnerable IoT devices. Our approach addresses the fundamental challenges that make IoT security so difficult.

Comprehensive Device Discovery and Classification

Asimily uses passive monitoring with AI and machine learning to discover and classify IoT devices without requiring agents or disrupting operations. Our deep packet inspection capabilities analyze network traffic patterns to accurately identify device types, manufacturers, models, firmware versions, and communication behaviors.

This passive approach is critical in environments where active scanning might disrupt sensitive devices or where agent deployment is impossible. Healthcare organizations can discover medical devices without risking patient care, while manufacturers can inventory operational technology without causing production interruptions.

Context-Aware Risk Assessment

Not all vulnerabilities pose equal risk. Asimily’s proprietary algorithm evaluates vulnerabilities in the context of your specific environment, considering factors like:

• Exploitability based on EPSS (Exploit Prediction Scoring System) data
• Device criticality and potential business impact
• Network exposure and attack path analysis
• Compensating controls that are already in place
• Threat intelligence from the MITRE ATT&CK framework

This contextual approach helps organizations prioritize the top 2% of problem devices that present the highest risk, rather than attempting to remediate every identified vulnerability.

Actionable Remediation Guidance

Identifying vulnerabilities is only valuable if organizations know how to address them. Asimily provides specific, actionable remediation recommendations tailored to each device and vulnerability. These recommendations consider what’s technically feasible given device constraints and what will deliver the greatest risk reduction.

For devices that can’t be patched, Asimily recommends compensating controls like network segmentation, access restrictions, or enhanced monitoring. Our targeted segmentation approach groups devices by shared exploit vectors, enabling organizations to implement efficient security controls across multiple devices with similar risk profiles.

Configuration Control and Drift Detection

Many IoT vulnerabilities stem from insecure configurations rather than software flaws. Asimily helps organizations establish and maintain secure configurations for their IoT devices by:

• Capturing snapshots of known good configurations
• Monitoring for configuration drift that might indicate unauthorized changes or compromise
• Alerting teams when devices deviate from approved settings
• Providing documentation to restore devices to secure states

This configuration management capability is particularly valuable for environments with large IoT deployments where manual configuration tracking would be impossible.

Integration with Existing Security Tools

Asimily doesn’t replace your existing security infrastructure—it enhances it. Our platform integrates with SIEMs, vulnerability scanners, CMDBs, network access control systems, and other security tools to provide a comprehensive view of IoT risk within your broader security context.

The Path Forward: Building IoT Security Resilience with Asimily

As Cybersecurity Awareness Month reminds us, security is an ongoing commitment rather than a one-time project. The IoT devices deployed in your environment today will likely remain in service for years, during which the threat landscape will continue to evolve.

Building resilience requires recognizing that some level of IoT vulnerability is inevitable given the current state of device security. The goal isn’t to eliminate all risk—that’s not feasible—but rather to:

• Maintain comprehensive visibility into IoT devices and their risks
• Prioritize remediation efforts based on actual business impact
• Implement defense-in-depth strategies that limit the impact of compromised devices
• Continuously adapt security controls as new threats emerge
• Foster collaboration between IT, security, operations, and business leaders

Asimily enables organizations to transform IoT from a liability into a managed risk. Our platform provides the visibility, context, and actionable guidance needed to secure complex IoT environments without requiring massive resource investments or disrupting operations.

The most vulnerable devices in your environment aren’t necessarily the ones you’d expect. They’re the devices no one is monitoring, the ones still running default configurations, or the ones that no one realized were even connected to the network. Asimily helps you find these devices, understand their risks, and implement practical security controls that reduce your exposure to cyberattacks.