Can Zero Trust Work with the IoT?

As organizations deploy thousands of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, from smart sensors to industrial equipment, the traditional network perimeter is disappearing. Zero Trust security helps organizations secure these connected devices by continuously verifying identities, limiting device access and monitoring behavior to reduce cyber risk.

The stakes are real: IoT devices now face an average of 820,000 attacks per day, and IoT-related attack volume jumped 124% year-over-year in 2024 alone. The connected device population reached 21.1 billion by the end of 2025 and is projected to hit 39 billion by 2030. For companies looking to insulate their data from cybercriminals, a Zero Trust IoT security posture ranks among the most effective strategies available.

Key Takeaways

• Zero Trust IoT treats every connected device as unverified by default, continuously checking identity, health and behavior rather than trusting it once it joins the network
• IoT devices are a growing attack surface
• Traditional perimeter security can’t keep up with device diversity, inconsistent authentication methods and firmware-level vulnerabilities that are common across consumer, enterprise and industrial IoT
• Core building blocks include ZTNA, identity and access management, device identity and microsegmentation
• Legacy and unmanaged devices are the biggest implementation hurdle
• A phased rollout, starting with the highest-risk devices, works better than trying to secure every device at once

What Is Zero Trust for IoT?

Zero Trust for IoT applies the same “never trust, always verify” principle used across enterprise security to connected devices specifically. Rather than assuming a device is safe because it’s on the network, Zero Trust IoT continuously verifies device identity, restricts what each device can access, and watches for unusual behavior after that access is granted.

A typical Zero Trust IoT access flow looks like this:

Each device is authenticated individually, evaluated against policy before access is granted, limited to only the systems it needs, and watched continuously afterward, rather than trusted indefinitely once it’s on the network. Let’s break that flow down stage by stage:

• IoT device: The starting point – that is, any consumer, enterprise or industrial device attempting to join the network or communicate with an application.
• Identity verification: The device presents a unique credential, rather than shared network access, that’s checked against an identity provider before anything else happens.
• Policy engine: A centralized decision point evaluates the device’s identity, health and context against organizational policy to determine what, if anything, it should be allowed to do.
• Least privilege access: Once approved, the device is granted access scoped to only the specific application or resource it needs, nothing broader.
• Application/resource: The device reaches the system it was authorized for, and only that system.
• Continuous monitoring & threat detection: The connection doesn’t end at approval. Behavior is watched continuously, and any deviation from the device’s normal pattern triggers a reassessment.

What is Considered an IoT Device?

An Internet of Things device is essentially a non-conforming type of hardware that can connect to a wireless network. Unlike standard desktops, tablets, phones and other handheld items, connectivity does not necessarily involve straightforward username and password access. Yet, their basic functions include internet-based communication and remote access utilization. These are examples of IoT devices that can serve as a proverbial backdoor for hackers.

• Consumer-use devices: This class of IoT devices includes products such as wearables, smart televisions, appliances, thermostats and the adorable Alexa that runs online searches on command and pulls up favorite music playlists. Products such as Amazon’s Echo respond to in-person activity, while others are managed remotely. A handful of devices use basic AI technology to make automated decisions.
• Enterprise-level devices: This category of IoT devices involves products that provide business benefits. Often employed to maintain and maximize the efficiency of climate control systems and other aspects of a facility, operations professionals can take advantage of the immersive real-time data they deliver. From any laptop, smartphone or tablet, enterprise-level IoT devices can track inventory and help manage a company’s supply chain.
• Industrial-grade devices: Largely designed for manufacturing and other industrial environments, these sensors monitor productivity facets such as assembly lines. They transmit alerts and nuanced data that help plant managers optimize equipment effectiveness. For example, an IoT device may alert supervisors when a conveyor system nears its weight limit. Proactive measures can be taken to ensure it doesn’t exceed capacity, which could otherwise result in a mechanical malfunction. Industrial-grade IoT devices also track the need for preventative maintenance and parts equipment replacement. In this fashion, IoT devices help organizations put the inefficient break-then-fix model in their rearview.

The advantages of IoT have encouraged wide-reaching industries to onboard them at break-neck speed. In 2022, there were a reported 13.8 billion IoT devices in circulation. By year’s end, that figure is expected to exceed 18 billion. Forecasts estimate that IoT devices will hit 39.8 billion in 2033, nearly tripling their number from 2022. It’s important to note that each seemingly useful little device functions through internet connectivity, making it a potential security liability.

Why IoT Security Is Different

IoT devices break a lot of the assumptions traditional endpoint security is built on. Most can’t run a standard security agent, many ship with hardcoded credentials that are rarely changed, and device lifecycles often stretch a decade or more, far longer than the software supporting them stays current. 

Add in the sheer diversity of manufacturers and firmware versions across a typical device fleet, and it’s easy to see why the same identity and access strategy that protects a laptop might not translate directly to, say, a smart thermostat or an industrial sensor.

A laptop can run endpoint detection software, prompt a user for multi-factor authentication and receive automatic security updates overnight – but for the most part, IoT devices do none of that by default. Zero Trust IoT closes that gap by shifting the verification burden away from the device itself and onto the network and identity layer around it, so security doesn’t depend on a sensor or camera being capable of protecting itself.

What Makes IoT Devices a Cybersecurity Threat? Common IoT Security Risks

It’s important to keep in mind that IoT devices are products that form a bridge between physical items using wireless internet. They generally have an integrated CPU, firmware and a network adapter built into them. They typically connect to a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol server to gain access to an IP address that helps them function on a network.

Although some are only used on virtual private networks or secure in-house routers, it’s not uncommon for users to receive data and make efficiency adjustments via public Wi-Fi. It’s not difficult to see how this sends an operation down the rabbit hole. The interconnectivity of IoT devices raises the following cybersecurity dangers.

• Broadens the attack surface: Every new IoT device is another potential entry point. Attackers increasingly target vulnerable devices instead of fighting through hardened network defenses.
• Unsecured hardware: Data exchanged between IoT devices and handheld devices is frequently unencrypted, making it easy to intercept.
• Shadow IoT: Employees sync personal wearables and smart devices to company laptops and phones without IT’s knowledge, quietly expanding the attack surface that human error already accounts for in the vast majority of breaches.
• Firmware hacking: Firmware sits at a low level of software sophistication, and a maliciously modified version can let an attacker walk into an otherwise secure network undetected.
• Insecure APIs and weak protocols: Many IoT devices communicate through APIs that were never designed with strong authentication in mind, giving attackers a straightforward path in if that API isn’t locked down.
• Botnet recruitment: Compromised IoT devices are frequently conscripted into botnets used for large-scale distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. The Mirai botnet, which enslaved hundreds of thousands of IoT devices in 2016 to knock major websites offline, remains the textbook example of what happens when device security is an afterthought.

In terms of the ways that IoT devices pose a risk, these issues are just the tip of the spear. Hackers have a laundry list of methods to infiltrate networks and steal corporate data. Always looking for the path of least resistance, vulnerable IoT devices make cybercrime look easy.

Traditional Security vs. Zero Trust for IoT

The difference isn’t just semantic; a flat, perimeter-based network assumes that once a device is inside, it belongs there, which is exactly the assumption attackers exploit. All they need to do is compromise a single smart sensor and use it to move laterally toward more valuable systems. Zero Trust IoT removes that assumption at every step.

Core Zero Trust Technologies

A handful of core technologies make Zero Trust IoT possible:

• Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA): grants access to specific applications and resources rather than the network as a whole.
• Identity and Access Management (IAM): governs authentication and authorization for both human users and device identities.
• Device Identity: gives each IoT device its own verifiable credential, rather than relying on shared network access.
• Microsegmentation: isolates devices and workloads into small zones so a compromised device can’t reach everything else.

The short version for IoT is that they work together, not in isolation.

Benefits of Zero Trust for IoT

Applying Zero Trust to IoT delivers benefits that go well beyond simply blocking bad actors:

• Reduced attack surface: Least privilege access means a compromised device can’t automatically reach everything else on the network.
• Contained breaches: Should a hacker crack a device’s credentials, Zero Trust’s segmentation keeps them from reaching personal data, financial records or intellectual property elsewhere on the network.
• Faster threat detection: Continuous, AI-assisted monitoring flags anomalies, like an unapproved device syncing with company hardware, in near real time instead of after the fact.
• Automatic remediation: Devices flagged as compromised, whether through malicious firmware or IoT ransomware, can be denied access automatically until security teams resolve the issue.
• Consistent protection across device types: Zero Trust treats every device, consumer, enterprise or industrial-grade, with the same baseline scrutiny, closing gaps that inconsistent policies leave open.

How Zero Trust Protects IoT Devices

Zero Trust IoT security builds on tried-and-true practices like multi-factor authentication, layered with the idea of allowable use. Endpoint devices go through vetting and approval before they’re granted any access at all, and in some cases, geolocation checks help confirm whether a login attempt is coming from a legitimate device or a hijacked one.

Once a device is verified, least privilege access takes over: each device profile is restricted to only the systems and applications it actually needs. If an attacker manages to steal credentials and get past multi-factor authentication, least privilege access still prevents them from reaching everything else, personal records, financial accounts or intellectual property, which sits outside that device’s scope. Any attempt to exceed those boundaries triggers a response automatically.

This isn’t a replacement for perimeter security so much as an upgrade to it. Zero Trust IoT layers continuous, AI-assisted checks on top of existing defenses, so an approved device that starts behaving strangely, say, an IoT sensor suddenly attempting to reach a finance database it has no business touching, gets flagged and contained rather than quietly ignored until it’s too late.

Device Onboarding 

Before a device is ever granted access, it goes through an onboarding process that establishes its identity, typically a certificate or cryptographic key rather than a username and password, and captures baseline information about its expected behavior. That baseline becomes the reference point continuous monitoring compares against later, which is what makes it possible to flag a device the moment it starts doing something it’s never done before.

Best Practices

A few practices consistently make Zero Trust IoT deployments more effective:

• Segment IoT devices onto their own network zones, separate from general office traffic, so a compromised sensor can’t reach financial systems or employee workstations
• Rotate and strengthen default credentials before a device ever connects
• Patch firmware on a defined schedule rather than waiting for a vendor notification, since many manufacturers are slow to publish updates even after a vulnerability is public knowledge
• Log and monitor device behavior continuously, not just at the point of connection
• Build an accurate, living inventory of every device on the network, including ones added without IT’s knowledge
• Assign an owner to each device category, someone accountable for patching, credential rotation and lifecycle decisions

Real-World Examples

Zero Trust IoT plays out differently depending on the industry:

• Healthcare: Hospitals rely on connected infusion pumps, monitors and imaging equipment. Zero Trust segments these devices from administrative systems, so a phishing attack on a front-desk computer can’t reach life-critical equipment.
• Manufacturing: Industrial sensors and controllers on the plant floor often run outdated firmware. Zero Trust isolates operational technology (OT) networks from corporate IT, limiting how far an attacker can move if either side is compromised.
• Retail: Point-of-sale systems, smart shelving and inventory sensors all connect to the same network in many stores. Zero Trust keeps payment systems segmented from lower-priority devices like digital signage.
• Logistics and Fleet Management: GPS trackers and telematics devices transmit constantly, often over public networks. Continuous verification helps confirm that data is coming from an authorized device rather than a spoofed one.
• Smart Buildings: HVAC controllers, badge readers and connected lighting systems often sit on the same network as everything else in a facility. Zero Trust IoT isolates building management systems so a compromised thermostat can’t become a path into corporate data, a scenario that has already played out in real-world retail breaches.
• Government and Critical Infrastructure: Utilities, water systems and municipal services increasingly rely on connected sensors to monitor equipment remotely. Zero Trust IoT helps ensure that a compromised sensor on one system can’t cascade into control systems for power, water or transportation, environments where downtime isn’t just costly, it’s dangerous.

How to Implement Zero Trust for IoT

The principles of zero trust cybersecurity are ideally suited for shoring up IoT shortcomings. The approach starts with premises that are not inherent to perimeter security measures. Rather than only focusing on deterring threat actors, zero trust insulates sensitive and valuable information even if your network becomes compromised.

It starts with tried-and-true cybersecurity policies such as multi-factor authentication and builds on the idea of allowable use. Endpoint devices undergo vetting and approval, denying access to others. In some cases, geolocation technologies ping smartphones and laptops to determine whether a sophisticated hacker is behind the login attempt.

Once a legitimate user enters the business network, each profile has defined restrictions, known as least privilege access. Staff members enjoy entry to only the digital assets and software applications required to perform specific tasks. Should a hacker learn a username and password and somehow overcome multi-factor authentication, the digital burglar cannot necessarily steal prized data such as personal identity records, financial accounts or intellectual property, among others. Any attempt to exceed these parameters triggers cybersecurity measures to expel the danger.

This approach to comprehensive asset protection works seamlessly to cure many of the vulnerabilities of IoT. That’s largely because zero trust IoT security treats these devices with the same level of suspicion as vetted smartphones, laptops and tablets. These are ways zero trust IoT shields an operation’s central critical data from attack.

Ongoing Device Monitoring

Zero trust defensive tactics don’t push aside perimeter security measures. Instead, zero trust levels them up. Using AI and machine learning automation, approved devices undergo rigorous checks. If a worker syncs the software of important medical hardware to an approved iPad without the knowledge of IT professionals, the tablet gets flagged. In this way, zero trust IoT protections can account for a broad and potentially compromised attack surface.

Device Remediation Requirements

Although human mistakes lead to the majority of data breaches, zero trust IoT architecture provides expansive solutions. Should the same device become a liability because a hacker installed malicious firmware, IoT ransomware or deploy another type of malware, the ongoing security health checks would, again, alert the security team. In some cases, it may deny immediate access until the cybersecurity professionals cure the ill. Only healthy, approved equipment gains unimpeded access.

Of course, zero trust IoT solutions inherit the fallback stance of the architecture. Cybercriminals face an uphill fight to overcome security obstacles, only to find themselves frustrated by internal data segregation. Transitioning to a zero trust model continues to trend high, but industry leaders may need to deal with a variety of adaptation challenges.

Measuring Success: KPIs for Zero Trust IoT

Once a Zero Trust IoT program is underway, a handful of metrics help confirm it’s actually working:

• Percentage of devices with verified digital identities: The share of the device fleet operating under unique, verifiable credentials rather than shared network access.
• Time to detect anomalous device behavior: How quickly monitoring tools flag a device acting outside its normal pattern.
• Number of shadow IoT devices discovered and remediated: A rising number early in a rollout is actually a good sign, it means the inventory process is working.
• Reduction in lateral movement incidents: Whether a compromised device’s blast radius is shrinking over time, measured by how many other systems an incident was able to reach.
• Policy violation attempts blocked: How often devices try to exceed their assigned access, and how consistently those attempts get stopped automatically.

Common Zero Trust IoT Challenges

Integrating zero trust principles calls for a thorough assessment of an operation’s entire digital and hardware systems. A managed IT firm with cybersecurity expertise brings together a variety of information to craft an actionable report. The strengths and vulnerabilities are discussed with the company’s leadership team, and a comprehensive zero trust transition plan is implemented. Part of the process involves dealing with challenges such as the following.

• Legacy Devices: Outdated devices may serve a vital purpose, but they crack the door open for hackers to exploit their inherent weaknesses. That’s generally because older IoT options sometimes lack upgradable software. Manufacturers that produced legacy devices did this to cut costs, not realizing these items would be synced to endpoint devices or used in ways hackers could exploit. It may be necessary to either retrofit legacy devices or transition to options with more secure software.
• Unmanaged Devices: Shadow IoT, personal wearables, unauthorized smart devices and anything else IT doesn’t know exists, can’t be protected by a policy that never accounted for it. A living device inventory is the only real fix.
• Compatibility: An effective zero trust security system requires all the moving parts to communicate efficiently. This includes the way IoT items send data or receive directions. The cybersecurity measures must possess the bandwidth to identify, assess, authorize and deter across the network. When organizations employ a piecemeal approach to technology and cybersecurity, hackers will find gaps. Achieving maximal IoT benefits requires comprehensive communication.
• Scalability: Zero Trust IoT still requires human decision-making in places, like approving access requests outside a device’s normal profile, which adds cost as the device fleet grows. Many organizations turn to managed IT services to keep that overhead manageable.
• Productivity: It’s essential to implement a plan of action that works seamlessly with profit-driving endeavors. The right cybersecurity expert understands that you are in business to turn a profit. The zero trust architecture plan may need modest adjustments and new technology to ensure it does not negatively impact goal achievement.

Keeping a real person in charge of critical decisions adds a fundamental layer of protection that pure automation cannot. However, tapping team supervisors and in-house IT personnel to handle these duties comes with a cost. Companies routinely turn to managed IT services to reduce staffing costs.

IoT Security Compliance and Regulatory Considerations

Zero Trust IoT isn’t just a security best practice, it increasingly overlaps with regulatory requirements. A few frameworks worth knowing:

• Federal requirements: The IoT Cybersecurity Improvement Act of 2020 requires federal agencies to purchase only IoT devices that meet NIST-defined security standards, and NIST Interagency Report 8259 lays out baseline cybersecurity capabilities manufacturers should build into connected devices.
• Healthcare: Organizations connecting medical IoT devices still need to meet HIPAA’s safeguards for protected health information, even when that data passes through a connected infusion pump or monitor.
• Industrial and critical infrastructure: Operators increasingly look to IEC 62443, a standard built specifically for securing industrial automation and control systems, to guide how they segment operational technology networks.
• Retail and payments: Retailers accepting payment through connected point-of-sale devices remain on the hook for PCI DSS requirements regardless of how many IoT devices sit on the same network.

None of these frameworks require Zero Trust by name, but a Zero Trust IoT architecture, with its emphasis on device identity, least privilege access and continuous monitoring, maps cleanly onto what most of them already ask for, which simplifies audits considerably.

Implement Zero Trust IoT Cybersecurity Measures with Red River

Transitioning to a zero trust cybersecurity posture delivers tremendous data safety and can account for sometimes overlooked vulnerabilities of IoT devices. At Red River, we provide comprehensive solutions to zero trust IoT challenges that include edge computing, data encryption, firmware updates, software patch management and proactive threat detections. If you are interested in integrating the zero trust strategy, contact us today. Let’s get the process started.

Zero Trust IoT: FAQs