Introduction: Why IoT is a growing enterprise network threat
Internet of Things (IoT) is the new trend that has fueled the transformation of many industries and reshaped our enterprises today. The variety and volume of connected devices grow on a daily basis. According to a new forecast from International Data Corporation (IDC), there will be 41.6 billion connected IoT devices by 2025, generating a staggering 79.4 zettabytes (ZB) of data in 2025.
In this new context, enterprises are tasked with handling traffic on an unprecedented scale and cybersecurity threats arising from the influx of IoT devices. This rapid IoT integration introduces significant security challenges, as organizations must manage the complexity and scale of diverse device types and network topologies. The growing number of connected devices also brings serious threats to organizational confidentiality, integrity, and overall security, making robust security measures essential.
However, the conventional security architectures and network management models seemingly fall behind facing the growing traffic from these miscellaneous untrusted devices.To protect enterprise networks in 2025, organizations need modern, layered, and context-aware security strategies that go beyond firewalls and VPNs.
Below are four steps to help IT teams embrace the influx of IoT while ensuring network security and compliance.
4 steps to secure enterprise networks from IoT threats
Step 1: Implement Zero Trust security policy for IoT
IoT devices are unmanaged by nature, yet enterprises still need to provide secure network and internet access. That’s where the Zero Trust security model comes in—a foundational cybersecurity framework for enterprise networks that is especially effective for securing unmanaged IoT devices.
Based on the principle of “never trust, always verify,” Zero Trust treats every device, user, and application as untrusted by default—regardless of their network location. In the context of enterprise IoT security, this means continuously validating identities and enforcing security decisions based on context.
To implement Zero Trust in IoT environments, enterprises should:
- Discover and inventory all connected devices, including headless or unagentable IoT endpoints
- Authenticate identities of both users and devices using strong identity providers (IdPs)
- Evaluate contextual factors such as device posture, location, time of access, and connection type
- Enforce granular access controls based on real-time context and risk level
This is where Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) plays a critical role. ZTNA provides the architectural foundation to enforce context-based security policies by continuously verifying who is accessing the network, what device they’re using, what application they’re trying to reach, and how they’re connecting. It enables secure access for both managed and unmanaged IoT devices without requiring agents, making it ideal for enterprises dealing with complex device ecosystems.
ZTNA empowers enterprises to:
- Enforce dynamic access policies based on user roles, device posture, and location
- Integrate with existing identity and authentication platforms (e.g., IdPs, MFA)
- Secure communication across devices and apps with least-privilege access controls
- Maintain visibility and control over all network activity—even from previously untrusted endpoints
By combining Zero Trust and ZTNA, enterprises can modernize their IoT security posture, protect against lateral movement, and reduce the attack surface in highly distributed networks.
Security teams play a key role in operationalizing this approach—designing and maintaining effective Zero Trust policies, continuously monitoring device behavior, and ensuring that all aspects of IoT access control are properly enforced and auditable.
Step 2: Identify untrusted devices with advanced discovery and classification
To ensure your network security, the first step is to gain visibility into all IoT devices trying to get connected to your network. Visibility is the foundation of network security and many enterprises lack a complete inventory of IoT devices—which poses a massive blind spot.
Use Network Access Control (NAC) tools with DHCP fingerprinting and behavioral analysis to:
- Detect new devices attempting to join the network
- Classify them based on traffic patterns and metadata
- Place unknown or suspicious devices into quarantine networks for inspection
As part of a comprehensive security strategy, it is also crucial to monitor network devices for advanced security features and potential threats. Multiple data can be leveraged to accurately authenticate a new device, such as the reported data, device fingerprint, and the generated traffic.
After authentication, intrusion detection systems (IDS) can be used to monitor for unauthorized or suspicious device activity. Additionally, intrusion prevention systems (IPS) provide a proactive measure to block malicious activity from untrusted devices. NAC platforms also allow policy enforcement at the device level—enabling or denying access based on trust level and classification.
Step 3: Enforce granular Identity and Access management (IAM)
Not all devices need access to your entire network. Enforcing granular access control is a cornerstone of robust enterprise network security, especially as organizations grapple with the complexities introduced by IoT devices.
By implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) and comprehensive Identity and Access Management (IAM) solutions, enterprises can ensure that only authorized users gain access to sensitive data and critical systems. This approach not only helps prevent unauthorized or malicious access but also limits user access strictly to the resources necessary for their roles, following the principle of least privilege access.
Network segmentation—such as VLANs and micro-segmentation—is also critical. Use DHCP-based segmentation to:
- Assign new devices to a default quarantine VLAN
- Extract device fingerprints before granting access
- Isolate critical assets from vulnerable endpoints
If a compromised device attempts to connect to unauthorized resources, alerts are triggered and the connection is denied—preventing lateral attacks.
Effective access management allows organizations to monitor user access and track activity across the enterprise network, making it easier to identify suspicious behavior and respond swiftly to potential security incidents. By restricting access to sensitive data and critical systems, enterprises can significantly reduce the risk of internal threats and data breaches.
Granular access control also supports compliance efforts and strengthens the overall security posture, ensuring that the right people have the right access at the right time—no more, no less.
Step 4: Apply adaptive and automated security policies
Once devices are classified and segmented, organizations should implement contextual security policies based on real-time risk. Key elements include:
- Firewall enforcement per subnet or device class
- Secure VPN tunnels for remote IoT access
- Data Loss Prevention (DLP) to monitor sensitive data flows
- Security policy orchestration for consistent enforcement across clouds and campuses
Security policies should be:
- Regularly reviewed and updated
- Communicated clearly to all employees and stakeholders
- Aligned with compliance frameworks (GDPR, HIPAA, ISO 27001, etc.)
Automated response systems can detect and neutralize malware or botnet activity in real time—reducing response time and mitigating impact.
AI-powered threat detection and response
Artificial intelligence and machine learning are transforming the landscape of modern enterprise network security. AI systems can provide security solutions that can detect and respond to cyber threats in real time. AI technologies excel at analyzing massive volumes of network traffic and user behavior, quickly identifying anomalies that may indicate sophisticated cyber threats such as phishing attacks or malware infiltration.
By leveraging AI-powered security, organizations can automate threat detection and response, reducing the time it takes to mitigate security incidents and minimizing potential damage.
AI also enhances threat intelligence by continuously learning from emerging threats and adapting security measures accordingly. This proactive approach not only strengthens the security posture of the enterprise network but also helps security teams stay ahead of potential threats in an ever-evolving digital landscape.
Using AI, enterprises can reduce dwell time, improve accuracy, and offload manual tasks from security teams.
Secure network architecture for IoT: SASE, segmentation, and cloud security
As IoT devices proliferate across enterprise networks, designing a secure network architecture becomes increasingly important. Implementing Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) solutions provides a unified approach to secure network connectivity and access control for all devices, including IoT endpoints. SASE integrates security features directly into the network infrastructure, ensuring that every connection—regardless of location or device type—is protected.
In addition to SASE, deploying intrusion detection and prevention systems enables organizations to monitor network traffic continuously and identify potential threats before they can cause harm.
Network segmentation is another critical design principle, isolating IoT devices from core business systems to prevent lateral movement in the event of a security breach. By prioritizing these architectural strategies, enterprises can reduce the risk of IoT-related security breaches, maintain a strong security posture, and ensure that their network connectivity remains both efficient and secure.
Enable continuous monitoring and incident response
Security doesn’t end at policy enforcement. Continuous monitoring and incident response are essential for maintaining enterprise network security in the face of evolving cyber threats. By monitoring network traffic and system activity in real time, organizations can quickly detect unusual patterns or potential security incidents, enabling a rapid and effective response.
A well-defined incident response plan outlines the steps to contain, eradicate, and recover from security incidents, as well as post-incident analysis to prevent future occurrences. Leveraging AI-powered security solutions enhances continuous monitoring by automating threat detection and providing actionable insights for security teams.
Regular security audits and risk assessments further strengthen the security posture by identifying vulnerabilities and ensuring that security measures remain effective against emerging threats.
By integrating continuous monitoring and a proactive incident response strategy, enterprises can minimize the impact of security incidents, protect sensitive data, and maintain the trust of customers and stakeholders in an increasingly connected world.
Final thoughts: Enterprise IoT security is non-negotiable
Securing your enterprise network isn’t just about defending laptops and servers—it’s about managing thousands of connected devices that could expose your systems to risk.
With Zero Trust, cloud-based NAC, granular access control, and automated policies, you can stay ahead of IoT threats while keeping your network efficient and compliant.
Strengthen your IoT security strategy with Cloudi-Fi
Cloudi-Fi provides a cloud-based Zero Trust solution designed for complex, multi-device environments—enabling enterprises to discover, segment, and secure unmanaged IoT devices without heavy infrastructure changes. With support for DHCP fingerprinting, dynamic access control, and seamless guest Wi-Fi onboarding, Cloudi-Fi helps you modernize your network security architecture for the IoT era.
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