Aeris recently launched Aeris IoT Watchtower, its fully integrated security solution for cellular IoT. The solution delivers enterprise IoT visibility and control to prevent IoT security breaches, reduce the impact of any security event, improve operational efficiency, and ensure regulatory compliance.
The new solution comes at a key time: IoT devices are already a primary target for cyber attackers looking to gain a foothold in enterprise networks. In its 2024 Cyber Threat Trends Report, Deloitte found a 400% increase in IoT malware attacks across different industries, and Forrester predicts a major IoT breach to disrupt a large class of devices in 2025.
This is because IoT devices are remote, mobile, ageing, and lacking security. After observing 600,000 smart devices, Aeris IoT Watchtower saw an alarming amount of device communications with the dark web where traffic is unobservable, exposing examples of advanced persistent threats, malicious events, and devices communicate with known phishing sites and services.
“Enterprises can no longer afford to treat IoT security as an afterthought,” said Aeris CEO Aziz Benmalek, who recently joined the company to lead its expansion into IoT security. “With cyber attacks on IoT devices surging and threats becoming more sophisticated, businesses need a proactive, scalable solution. Aeris IoT Watchtower is the first solution to give enterprises and mobile operators the network-based visibility and zero-trust security they need to confidently scale their cellular IoT programs around the world.”
Aeris IoT Watchtower comprises two critical components:
- Aeris IoT Watchtower Awareness provides enterprises with deep visibility into IoT device behavior and traffic, identifying threats as they happen, enhancing operational efficiency and ensuring regulatory compliance
- Aeris IoT Watchtower Enforcement enables network and security administrators to implement secure access control policies based on identified risks and align their deployments with zero-trust security principles
It integrates with Aeris IoT Accelerator, the company’s cellular IoT connectivity management platform acquired from Ericsson’s global IoT business in 2023, delivering secure cellular IoT at scale. Aeris operates the core network across 25 mobile operators and monitors a real-time database of every data session, including destinations, ports and protocols.
Using Aeris’ own AI and known threat databases, Aeris IoT Watchtower provides real-time awareness of threats as they happen as well as policy-based controls to prevent attacks based on zero-trust networking and tools to stop or quarantine an active attack.
“Enterprises using Aeris IoT Watchtower have full visibility into the cyber risk of their IoT devices plus the tools to prevent or limit damage from an attack,” added Jonathan Connet, Chief Product Officer, Aeris. “Best of all, the solution is completely frictionless with no agent or special SIM card required or proxy traffic to a security tool. IoT Watchtower does this all inline with the normal cellular data path.”
Exploiting vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure and devices can have life-threatening consequences. Attackers manipulating utility grid devices can cause power outages. By compromising IoT devices in fleets, attackers can manipulate, exploit and interfere with vehicles, drivers and cargo. Compromised medical devices such as CPAP machines could put millions of people at risk.
At the same time, regulations are becoming more stringent. The European Union’s Cyber Resilience Act and NIS2 Directive, along with the UK’s Product Security and Telecoms Infrastructure Act, require heightened security for IoT devices, prompting enterprises to act now to avoid costly breaches.
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