Why CISOs should use zero-trust security for IoT IoT devices have significant business benefits but also open enterprises to escalating security risks. Discover why zero trust is the most practical way to secure IoT. IoT is meant to drive operational efficiency and improve decision-making, largely by automating processes and reducing overall costs. But with these benefits come escalating cybersecurity threats that target IoT devices, which are notoriously vulnerable compared to traditional IT infrastructure. Several security frameworks address IoT, including the NIST Cybersecurity Framework and IEC 62443 for industrial systems. That said, one approach -- zero trust -- has bubbled to the top as the most practical way to secure IoT. Zero trust's emphasis on continuous verification, continuous validation, microsegmentation and network-based behavioral analytics helps enterprises address visibility and enforcement gaps common when working with low-cost IoT devices. Common IoT security challenges The rapid expansion of IoT devices and other connected components has dramatically increased the attack surface for enterprise organizations. IoT systems often offer poor visibility, have limited built-in security capabilities and lack support for endpoint protection software, hobbling IT security teams. As a result, unpatched devices with weak credentials are common. Their inherent security flaws make IoT devices ripe targets for malicious hackers, who exploit them to scan the network and compromise other systems, creating a serious risk to mission-critical components and data. Supply-chain risks only compound the issue. Pre-compromised IoT devices can introduce massive threats at scale, leading to botnets and persistent backdoors that make threat remediation incredibly difficult. Enterprises that don't properly address these vulnerabilities face the constant risk of ransomware attacks, operational disruptions, and compliance and regulatory issues. The financial and reputational consequences could be catastrophic. How zero trust addresses IoT security Zero trust principles use a "never trust, always verify" philosophy, eliminating the implicit trust