Exein announced a strategic partnership with Mesh Systems. Together, the companies will help manufacturers strengthen security at the source, starting with firmware security assurance before devices ship, while supporting readiness for EU cybersecurity regulations, including the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) and Radio Equipment Directive (RED), as well as the US Cyber Trust Mark.
Mesh Systems supports companies building or connecting devices across the full product lifecycle – from early design and development through deployment and ongoing management. Under the partnership, Mesh will offer Exein’s embedded cybersecurity capabilities as part of its customer engagements, providing manufacturers with enhanced security assurance for firmware and connected device software, as well as the operational support required to translate regulatory obligations into practical compliance programs.
Embedded security and EU compliance readiness
Connected-device manufacturers are facing growing pressure to demonstrate stronger product security, not only from escalating threats – the average cost of a data breach in the US has surged 9% to more than $10 million – but increasingly from regulatory requirements. Many companies with international operations are now regularly seeking guidance on EU cybersecurity obligations, with CRA and RED compliance becoming a near-term commercial priority for all those that sell into European markets.
Responding to a changing threat landscape at the edge
Together, Exein and Mesh will offer an end-to-end approach spanning pre-deployment security assurance and in-field resilience, helping manufacturers move beyond point products focused only on code analysis or network-level visibility, toward runtime edge protection that remains effective even when devices are offline.
The partnership comes as sensitive workloads – including AI inference and model execution – increasingly move from protected cloud environments to edge devices, expanding the attack surface and making on-device security more critical. The US IoT security market size was valued at $34.8 billion in 2024 and is predicted to reach $296 billion by 2033. With connected devices now underpinning everything from industrial environments to consumer products, manufacturers are seeking scalable ways to reduce risk without slowing time to market. The rate of attacks on critical infrastructure sectors – such as energy and transportation, as well as healthcare – also continues to rise. Meanwhile, North American targets now represent 24% of all global cyber-attacks, with the US being the subject in 86% of those incidents. FBI statistics show that losses for businesses from cyber-attacks in the US in 2024 were at least $2.7 billion.
Chris Lanier, Managing Director, Americas, Exein, said: “Connected devices are now the fastest-growing attack surface in the world – and the centre of gravity is shifting toward the edge, including on-device AI. This partnership brings together Exein’s embedded cybersecurity technology and Mesh Systems’ deep expertise in building and managing connected products. Together, we’ll help US manufacturers ship stronger, more resilient devices, support the practical work required to meet EU cybersecurity compliance expectations and build a consistent security baseline for manufacturers operating across both European and US markets.”
Andrew Cohoat, President & CEO, Mesh Systems, said: “More and more US manufacturers are being asked to prove their connected products are secure especially when they sell into Europe. By partnering with Exein, we can give customers stronger firmware security assurance before devices ship, and support the operational processes and documentation needed to meet requirements like the Cyber Resilience Act and the Radio Equipment Directive.”
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