The continued proliferation of smart devices is rapidly reshaping the global threat landscape. From connected medical equipment and building management systems to industrial control systems (ICS) and logistics sensors, organisations are deploying Internet of Things (IoT) technologies at an unprecedented scale. These deployments span critical infrastructure creating interconnected ecosystems where a single vulnerability can cascade across entire networks.
While these devices unlock efficiency, automation, and insight, they also dramatically expand the global attack surface. By 2026, this expansion will intersect with a new and more dangerous trend: the widespread weaponisation of artificial intelligence by cyber adversaries.
Attacking IoT environments used to demand laborious reconnaissance and thorough manual analysis. Threat actors had to individually scan networks, fingerprint devices, and identify weaknesses one system at a time. AI is changing this equation entirely. In 2026, the threat landscape will be transformed by AI. Adversaries will increasingly leverage AI-driven tools for scanning and discovery, allowing them to identify vulnerable IoT devices with speed and on a scale far surpassing manual methods.
These tools will automatically discover exposed devices on public and private networks by collecting and analysing data such as banners, firmware signatures, and observed behavioural patterns. Misconfigurations such as open management ports, default credentials, and weak authentication schemes will be identified almost instantly. Legacy firmware versions—often left unpatched due to operational constraints—will be flagged and categorised for exploitation. Machine learning models will correlate device characteristics with known exploit databases, prioritising targets based on vulnerability severity and potential maximum impact. What once took weeks of effort will be achievable in minutes, enabling attackers to move rapidly from discovery to compromise.
The Implications for Critical Sectors
The implications of this shift are particularly severe for organisations that rely heavily on operational technology (OT) and cyber-physical systems. Critical infrastructure operators, logistics organisations, and healthcare providers will face the most serious consequences. These sectors depend on availability, integrity, and reliability; disruption is not merely inconvenient but potentially life-threatening.
Attackers will increasingly aim to cause operational downtime by disabling or destabilising connected systems. In manufacturing and logistics environments, AI-assisted attacks may manipulate sensor data to trigger false readings, causing production errors, equipment damage, or supply chain delays. In healthcare settings, compromised medical devices or monitoring systems could disrupt patient care, delay procedures, or undermine clinical decision-making.
The Evolution of Ransomware
Ransomware will also evolve in this context. Rather than focusing solely on encrypting data, attackers will design ransomware specifically to halt essential processes. Industrial machinery, environmental controls, and medical equipment may be locked or rendered unsafe to operate until a ransom is paid. The combination of AI-enabled discovery and process-aware ransomware creates a powerful incentive for victims to comply quickly, increasing the financial attractiveness of these attacks.
Defending against this emerging threat landscape requires a fundamental shift in how organisations approach IoT security. Traditional perimeter-based defences and periodic assessments are no longer sufficient when adversaries can continuously scan and adapt using AI. Instead, organisations must adopt a proactive, architecture-driven approach.
Operational, Counter-Security Imperatives
Zero-trust segmentation is a critical first step. IoT devices should never be implicitly trusted, regardless of their location on the network. By segmenting devices based on function, risk, and criticality, organisations can limit lateral movement and contain breaches when they occur. A compromised sensor should not provide a pathway to production systems, clinical networks, or administrative infrastructure.
Continuous device monitoring is equally essential. Organisations need real-time visibility into device behaviour, configuration changes, and network communications. AI can be used defensively as well, enabling anomaly detection that identifies deviations from normal operational patterns. Early detection is particularly important in OT and healthcare environments, where stealthy manipulation may be more damaging than outright disruption.
Establishing robust frameworks for patching and lifecycle management is essential. While maintaining high uptime and managing vendor constraints make patching IoT devices challenging, organizations must prioritise replacing or updating large populations of devices running on legacy firmware. This requires dedicated resources and budget allocation.
A structured approach to updates and replacements should be built upon comprehensive asset inventories, risk-based prioritisation, and clear vendor accountability. Organisations should establish service-level agreements with vendors that explicitly define patch delivery timelines, end-of-life notifications, and security support windows to ensure accountability throughout the device lifecycle.
As smart devices continue to proliferate, the question is no longer whether the IoT attack surface will expand, but how organisations will adapt to defend it. In 2026, adversaries will use AI to exploit scale and complexity. Machine learning algorithms will enable attackers to identify vulnerable devices faster, automate reconnaissance across vast networks, and adapt their tactics in real-time to evade detection systems. To counter this, defenders must do the same, combining zero-trust principles, continuous monitoring, and disciplined patch management into a resilient security posture that recognises IoT not as an edge case, but as a core component of modern cyber risk. Security teams must integrate IoT visibility into their broader threat intelligence platforms and incident response workflows to achieve true defense-in-depth.
