The rise of connected devices has fundamentally reshaped industries, enabling unprecedented levels of automation, efficiency, and innovation. These devices fall under the Extended Internet of Things (XIoT), a broad category encompassing traditional Internet of Things (IoT) devices, operational technology (OT), industrial control systems (ICS), the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), and other connected assets that span enterprise IT and operational environments.
While XIoT unlocks immense opportunities, it also introduces new risks. The rapid convergence of IT and XIoT environments has expanded the attack surface, making traditional security approaches obsolete. Organizations must rethink their cybersecurity strategies to address the unique risks posed by interconnected XIoT devices. Here, Zero Trust is essential to ensure every user, device, and system is continuously verified before gaining access to critical operations.
A transformative trend — the convergence of IT and XIoT systems — is driving a paradigm shift in how organizations approach cybersecurity. In response, organizations are adopting Zero Trust to secure business operations and safeguard critical infrastructure. With CrowdStrike Falcon® for XIoT, delivered through the AI-native CrowdStrike Falcon® cybersecurity platform, businesses can embrace innovation while securing their most critical assets.
The Convergence of IT and XIoT: A Double-Edged Sword
As IT and XIoT environments merge, they face significant cybersecurity challenges. Adversaries can now exploit weaknesses in IT systems to infiltrate XIoT environments, potentially disrupting physical operations. Many XIoT assets were never designed with cybersecurity in mind, making them highly susceptible to attacks. Outdated firmware, weak authentication, and an inability to apply patches efficiently all leave gaps that threat actors can exploit. Even when organizations deploy cybersecurity measures, they often struggle with visibility — not knowing how many connected devices exist in their network, let alone whether those devices are secure.
The risks of convergence are not theoretical. The Mirai botnet attack leveraged unsecured XIoT devices to launch a massive distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack. These incidents highlight the urgent need for a unified, proactive approach to securing converged IT-XIoT environments.
Zero Trust: A Security Imperative
As organizations expand their reliance on XIoT devices, traditional perimeter-based security models are proving inadequate. The explosion of connected assets and the sophistication of modern adversaries demand a shift to Zero Trust security architectures.
Zero Trust operates on the principle of “never trust, always verify.” Unlike legacy models that assume trust for devices and users within a network, Zero Trust continuously validates every entity attempting to access systems and data. This approach is critical for securing XIoT ecosystems, where default credentials, shared authentication mechanisms, and high volumes of connected devices create an environment ripe for exploitation.
Implementing Zero Trust for XIoT presents unique challenges. Many organizations still rely on legacy authentication mechanisms that do not account for today’s sophisticated attack techniques. Others struggle with enforcing strict access policies across thousands, or even millions, of XIoT devices. And because XIoT systems often include mission-critical infrastructure, applying security updates without disrupting operations is difficult.
Despite these challenges, organizations cannot afford to ignore Zero Trust principles in XIoT environments. Without continuous verification of users and devices, attackers can move laterally across networks and access critical systems undetected. A Zero Trust approach ensures every connection, whether from a human user or an XIoT device, is authenticated, monitored, and restricted based on the principle of least privilege.
How CrowdStrike Protects XIoT in a Converging, Zero Trust World
Securing XIoT in today’s evolving threat landscape requires a proactive, intelligent approach that delivers complete visibility, real-time threat detection, and a Zero Trust security model designed to defend against both known and emerging adversaries. The CrowdStrike Falcon platform is built to meet these challenges, ensuring organizations can embrace the power of XIoT without exposing themselves to cyber threats.
One of the biggest challenges organizations face is a lack of visibility across XIoT environments. Falcon for XIoT solves this problem by continuously identifying and mapping every connected asset within an organization’s infrastructure. This real-time asset inventory allows security teams to understand the full scope of their attack surface, ensuring no device goes unmonitored. With this insight, organizations can proactively manage vulnerabilities, prioritize risks, and take action before attackers can exploit weaknesses.