How Unmanaged IoT Devices are Becoming Enterprise Time Bombs

The Internet of Things (IoT) market is growing at breakneck speed.

- Apu Pavithran Founder and CEO, Hexnode

With 18.8 billion connected devices already active and projections soaring to nearly 40 billion by 2030, the scale is staggering. Notably, Enterprise IoT accounts for around three-quarters of this massive ecosystem.

From powering smart cities and revolutionizing healthcare to optimizing energy grids, IoT devices are now at the heart of mission-critical operations across industries. But as we embrace this hyperconnected world, a pressing question emerges: Are we prepared for the risks that come with it?

As billions of devices exchange data across diverse networks, every connection is a potential gateway for hackers. Security researchers have reported a 400% increase in malware attacks targeting IoT devices a clear sign that attackers are exploiting these devices at scale.

It's no surprise that half of all IT leaders now view IoT devices as the weakest link in their cybersecurity defences. The message is clear: while IoT promises incredible opportunities, it also demands a new level of vigilance and strategic oversight.

The State of Things: Botnets and Backdoors

It’s no coincidence that the explosive growth of connected devices is being mirrored by a surge in botnet activity. Many IoT devices, often deployed with weak security and default credentials, are easy prey for attackers. Once compromised, they're swiftly recruited into botnets vast armies of infected devices remotely controlled to launch cyberattacks. Take the recent case of Eleven11bot, a massive botnet composed of over 86,000 security cameras and network video recorders. It was used to orchestrate devastating DDoS attacks against telecom providers and gaming platforms, exploiting weak and default passwords. In a matter of weeks, it became one of the largest botnets seen in recent years.

According to Nokia, IoT- driven botnet activity has surged 500% in just the past 18 months and now accounts for 40% of all DDoS traffic, raising big red flags.