Zscaler Annual IoT Report Identifies Shift in Shadow IoT Behavior Threatening Enterprise Security Posture
February 25, 2020
News
1,500 Percent Increase in IoT Traffic Through the Zscaler Cloud Highlights Dangerous Rise in Unauthorized Devices Brought into the Workplace.
Zscaler released its second annual Internet of Things (IoT) report "IoT Devices in the Enterprise 2020: Shadow IoT Threat Emerges". According to the company, Zscaler customers are now generating more than one billion IoT transactions monthly in the Zscaler cloud. This amounts to a 1,500% increase since Zscaler’s May 2019 report. Analyzing two weeks of this traffic through Zscaler cloud, it found 553 different IoT devices across 21 categories from 212 manufacturers.
Organizations globally are observing this shadow IoT phenomenon, where employees are bringing unauthorized devices into the workplace. With the influx of unknown and unauthorized devices, IT and security teams often won’t know these devices are on the corporate network nor how they impact an organization’s overall security posture.
Key Findings:
? Unauthorized IoT Devices on the Rise
? Manufacturing & Retail Industries Top IoT Traffic Volume
? Majority of IoT Transactions are Insecure
? Exponential Increase of IoT Malware
? New Exploits Emerging to Target Unauthorized Devices
Throughout this quarter, Zscaler blocked approximately 42,000 transactions which were IoT-based malware and exploits. The top malware families included Mirai, Gafgyt, Rift, Bushido, Demonbot, and Pesirai. The top destinations connected to the IoT threats are the United States, the UK, Russia, The Netherlands, and Malaysia.
To download the IoT Devices in the Enterprise 2020: Shadow IoT Threat Emerges report, please visit: https://info.zscaler.com/resources-industry-iot-in-the-enterprise.
Tiera Oliver is the assistant managing editor at Embedded Computing Design. She is responsible for web content editing, product news, and story development. She also manages, edits, and develops content for ECD podcasts, including Embedded Insiders.
She utilizes her expertise in journalism and content management to oversee editorial content, coordinate with editors, and ensure high-quality output across web, print, and multimedia platforms. She manages diverse projects, assists in the production of digital magazines, and hosts company podcasts by conducting in-depth interviews with industry leaders to deliver engaging and insightful discussions.
Tiera attended Northern Arizona University, where she received her bachelor's in journalism and political science. She was also a news reporter for the student-led newspaper, The Lumberjack.
