Tripwire Survey: 64% of IT Security Pros Recognize Need to Protect Industrial IoT from Cyber Attacks

A new Tripwire survey says 64 percent of information technology security professionals said they acknowledge the need to safeguard industrial internet of things from potential cyber attacks.

Tripwire said Monday it commissioned market research firm Dimensional Research to poll 403 security professionals from the U.S., Europe, Canada and the U.K. in January and found that 51 percent think they are not ready to address cyber attacks that exploit unsecured IIoT devices.

The study also found that 96 percent of respondents said they expect to see a rise in IIoT security attacks this year, while 90 percent said they predict an increase in IIoT deployment.

“As industrial companies pursue IIoT, it’s important to understand the new threats that can impact critical operations,” said Robert Westervelt, security research manager at IDC.

“Greater connectivity with operational technology (OT) exposes operational teams to the types of attacks that IT teams are used to seeing, but with even higher stakes,” he added.

Tripwire also found that 94 percent of respondents predict cyber risks and vulnerabilities to rise in their organizations driven by the adoption of IIoT devices.