Unified Asset Visibility for IoT, OT, and Cloud Security: Best Practices for 2026

SentinelOne partners with Armis to provide enhanced asset visibility across IoT, OT, and cloud environments, helping organizations reduce attack risks and improve response times against evolving threats.

Ozan Ucar, Founder and CEO of Keepnet

Last Updated: 2026-06-01

SentinelOne and Armis Integration Elevates Asset Security Across IoT, OT, and Cloud

In 2026, organizations manage an increasingly diverse estate of connected devices: traditional endpoints, cloud workloads, IoT sensors, operational technology (OT) systems, and unmanaged devices that connect to corporate networks without IT oversight. Industry estimates suggest there are now over 18 billion connected IoT devices globally, with the majority operating in industrial, healthcare, and critical infrastructure environments that lack mature security management practices. Each category carries distinct security risks, and the inability to see all of them creates blind spots that threat actors consistently exploit. Ransomware groups targeting critical infrastructure, nation-state actors conducting OT espionage, and financially motivated criminals targeting IoT-connected payment systems have all demonstrated sophisticated exploitation of unmanaged device exposures in 2024 and 2025 campaigns.

The IoT and OT Security Challenge

IoT and OT devices present security challenges that traditional endpoint tools were not designed to handle. Many run proprietary operating systems that cannot support endpoint agents. Many have fixed firmware that is rarely or never patched. They often communicate on non-standard protocols. And they are frequently deployed in environments where availability is the absolute priority, making any intervention that could cause downtime unacceptable. The result is a large population of devices that are connected to sensitive networks but largely invisible to security teams.

Attackers have recognized and actively exploited this gap. In 2024 and 2025, security researchers documented attacks on industrial control systems, building management infrastructure, and hospital medical devices that used unmanaged IoT entry points to pivot into IT networks. The Volt Typhoon campaign, attributed to a Chinese state-sponsored group, specifically targeted OT-connected network devices in US critical infrastructure. The CL0P ransomware group and others have expanded targeting to manufacturing OT environments where operational disruption increases payment pressure beyond what data theft alone can achieve.

What Unified Asset Visibility Provides

Unified asset visibility platforms in 2026 use a combination of passive network traffic analysis, active scanning where safe for the environment, and API-based cloud resource discovery to build complete asset inventories. Modern platforms classify devices using machine learning applied to protocol behavior, firmware fingerprinting, and communication patterns rather than relying on agents that most OT and IoT devices cannot run. Key capabilities include identifying unmanaged and shadow devices, flagging devices running outdated firmware with known CVEs, detecting behavioral anomalies that indicate compromise, and feeding enriched asset context into SOC workflows for faster triage.

The Role of Security Awareness Training in IoT and OT Security

Technical controls for IoT and OT security must be complemented by trained employees. Many IoT compromises begin with a phishing email targeting an employee with access to connected systems. Employees who understand why unmanaged devices are risky, how attackers use IoT entry points to reach more valuable systems, and what to do when they notice unusual device behavior contribute meaningfully to IoT security. Keepnet's Security Awareness Training covers the human factors behind IoT and OT security incidents including phishing and social engineering tactics targeting employees with operational technology access.

Best Practices for IoT, OT, and Cloud Asset Security in 2026

Maintain a complete asset inventory: You cannot protect what you cannot see. Deploy discovery tools that identify all connected devices including those without agents.
Segment IoT and OT networks: Isolate operational technology from corporate IT networks. If an IoT device is compromised, segmentation limits the blast radius.
Patch and update firmware regularly: Where updates are available, apply them on a defined schedule. Where devices cannot be patched, compensating controls such as network isolation and monitoring are essential.
Monitor for anomalous behavior: IoT and OT devices have predictable communication patterns. Deviations from baseline behavior, such as unexpected outbound connections, are strong indicators of compromise.
Train employees on connected device risks: Ensure staff who work with or near IoT and OT devices understand the security implications. Use phishing simulations that include scenarios relevant to operational environments.

As organizations in critical infrastructure, manufacturing, healthcare, and logistics expand their connected device footprints, the regulatory environment is also tightening. The EU NIS2 Directive effective from October 2024 requires operators of essential services to manage and report IoT and OT security risks. The US CISA has issued binding operational directives for federal agencies regarding OT security, and sector-specific regulators in energy, healthcare, and finance are expanding their expectations around connected device security. In 2026, unified asset visibility is not just a security best practice but increasingly a regulatory requirement for organizations in regulated industries.

Editor's Note: This article was updated on June 1, 2026.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why are IoT and OT devices harder to secure than traditional endpoints?

IoT and OT devices typically cannot run endpoint security agents, run proprietary or embedded operating systems that receive infrequent patches, use non-standard communication protocols, and operate in environments where any disruption to availability is unacceptable. These factors mean traditional endpoint protection tools do not apply, patch management is difficult or impossible, and security teams often lack visibility into what these devices are doing on the network.

What is unified asset visibility and why does it matter?

Unified asset visibility means discovering, classifying, and continuously monitoring every device connected to a network, regardless of whether it supports security agents. It matters because you cannot protect what you cannot see. Shadow IoT devices, unmanaged workstations, and uncatalogued OT equipment all create blind spots that attackers target specifically because they are less likely to be monitored. A complete, real-time asset inventory is the foundation of any effective security program.

How do attackers use IoT devices as entry points into corporate networks?

Attackers target IoT devices because they are often unpatched, unmonitored, and connected to the same network as more valuable systems. Common techniques include exploiting default or weak credentials on internet-facing devices, using known firmware vulnerabilities against devices that cannot be updated, and compromising IoT devices to establish persistence and then pivot laterally to adjacent IT systems. Building management systems, security cameras, and industrial sensors have all been used as pivot points in documented attacks.

What is network segmentation and how does it protect IoT and OT environments?

Network segmentation divides a network into isolated zones with controlled traffic between them. For IoT and OT environments, segmentation ensures that devices controlling physical processes are not on the same network segment as corporate email systems or internet-connected workstations. If an IoT device is compromised, proper segmentation limits the attacker's ability to move laterally to more sensitive systems, reducing the blast radius of the incident significantly.

What role does employee training play in IoT and OT security?

Most IoT and OT security incidents begin with a human-layer attack: phishing emails targeting employees with access to connected systems, social engineering of facility staff, or insider actions. Technical controls for device security must be paired with employees who understand why unmanaged devices are risky, recognize phishing attempts relevant to their operational environment, and know how to report suspicious device behavior. Regular phishing simulations that incorporate operational technology scenarios build the relevant recognition skills.

How should organizations handle unmanaged devices discovered on their network?

When an asset discovery tool identifies an unmanaged device, the first step is classification: determine what the device is, who owns it, what it is connected to, and whether it should be on the network. Devices that have no legitimate business purpose should be isolated or removed. Devices with a legitimate purpose should be enrolled in appropriate monitoring and, where possible, patched and hardened. The discovery itself should trigger a review of how the device was connected without IT knowledge and whether network access controls need to be strengthened.

What is OT security and how does it differ from IT security?

OT (operational technology) security protects the systems that control physical processes: industrial control systems, SCADA systems, programmable logic controllers, and connected manufacturing equipment. Unlike IT security where the primary concern is data confidentiality and integrity, OT security prioritizes availability and physical safety. A disrupted IT system causes productivity loss; a disrupted OT system can cause equipment damage, production shutdown, environmental incidents, or injury. These different priorities mean that standard IT security practices, such as frequent rebooting or aggressive patching, must be carefully adapted for OT environments.

Which industries are most exposed to IoT and OT security risks?

Critical infrastructure sectors carry the highest exposure: energy and utilities, water treatment, manufacturing, healthcare (medical devices), transportation and logistics, and building management. These industries operate large fleets of connected devices, often including legacy equipment with no patch support, in environments where uptime is non-negotiable. They are also frequently targeted by both financially motivated attackers seeking to extort critical services and state-sponsored actors seeking to disrupt essential infrastructure.

What is cloud security posture management (CSPM) and how does it relate to asset visibility?

Cloud security posture management (CSPM) continuously monitors cloud infrastructure configurations to identify misconfigurations, excessive permissions, and compliance violations. It is an asset visibility tool for cloud environments: just as IoT asset discovery identifies unmanaged devices on-premises, CSPM identifies cloud resources that have been provisioned outside of approved channels (shadow IT), configured insecurely, or left exposed to the internet. Together, IoT/OT asset discovery and CSPM provide comprehensive visibility across the full modern infrastructure estate.

How can organizations build a complete asset inventory across IT, IoT, OT, and cloud?

Building a complete asset inventory requires tools that operate across all environment types: active and passive network scanning for on-premises and IoT/OT devices, API-based discovery for cloud resources and SaaS applications, and integration with existing configuration management and endpoint management databases. The inventory must be continuously maintained rather than point-in-time, because new devices and cloud resources are provisioned constantly. Pairing the technical inventory with security awareness training that educates employees on shadow IT and unauthorized device connection helps prevent new gaps from appearing as fast as technical controls close existing ones.