28 Billion IoT Devices to Be Secured by 2028

A new study from Juniper Research has found that the global number of IoT devices protected by cybersecurity solutions will reach 28 billion by 2028, rising from only 14 billion in 2024. This represents a growth of over 100% over the next four years.

However, despite this sizable growth, it warned that as the complexity of IoT networks grows, frameworks that underpin security solutions are increasingly necessary to counter fragmented approaches to IoT cybersecurity. With weak IoT security, enterprise IoT users risk events such as data breaches, financial losses, and regulatory non-compliance.

To best position IoT networks against these threats, the study identified the implementation of zero-trust architecture (ZTA) frameworks as a priority. ZTA frameworks operate on the principle that no device on a network is to be inherently trusted; requiring constant authentication. These frameworks also offer greater visibility of IoT device activity through continuous authentication; enabling earlier threat detection and mitigation.

Given the scale of expected IoT growth, and rapid digitalization by small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs), these frameworks will need to be deployed across IoT networks of various sizes. As the number of networks grows, vendors must leverage the scalability of ZTA frameworks to ensure that cybersecurity solutions keep pace.

“The IoT cybersecurity market is expected to reach $51 billion by 2028; partly driven by adoption from SMEs. To capitalize, vendors must simplify their solutions in a time when IoT architectures are becoming increasingly complex, and a greater number of connectivity technologies are used,” stated research author Michelle Joynson.