Securing XIoT in the Era of Convergence and Zero Trust

The rise of connected devices has fundamentally reshaped industries, enabling unprecedented levels of automation, efficiency, and innovation. These devices fall under the Extended Internet of Things (XIoT), a broad category encompassing traditional Internet of Things (IoT) devices, operational technology (OT), industrial control systems (ICS), the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), and other connected assets that span enterprise IT and operational environments.

While XIoT unlocks immense opportunities, it also introduces new risks. The rapid convergence of IT and XIoT environments has expanded the attack surface, making traditional security approaches obsolete. Organizations must rethink their cybersecurity strategies to address the unique risks posed by interconnected XIoT devices. Here, Zero Trust is essential to ensure every user, device, and system is continuously verified before gaining access to critical operations.

A transformative trend — the convergence of IT and XIoT systems — is driving a paradigm shift in how organizations approach cybersecurity. In response, organizations are adopting Zero Trust to secure business operations and safeguard critical infrastructure. With CrowdStrike Falcon® for XIoT, delivered through the AI-native CrowdStrike Falcon® cybersecurity platform, businesses can embrace innovation while securing their most critical assets.

The Convergence of IT and XIoT: A Double-Edged Sword

As IT and XIoT environments merge, they face significant cybersecurity challenges. Adversaries can now exploit weaknesses in IT systems to infiltrate XIoT environments, potentially disrupting physical operations. Many XIoT assets were never designed with cybersecurity in mind, making them highly susceptible to attacks. Outdated firmware, weak authentication, and an inability to apply patches efficiently all leave gaps that threat actors can exploit. Even when organizations deploy cybersecurity measures, they often struggle with visibility — not knowing how many connected devices exist in their network, let alone whether those devices are secure.

The risks of convergence are not theoretical. The Mirai botnet attack leveraged unsecured XIoT devices to launch a massive distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack. These incidents highlight the urgent need for a unified, proactive approach to securing converged IT-XIoT environments.

Zero Trust: A Security Imperative

As organizations expand their reliance on XIoT devices, traditional perimeter-based security models are proving inadequate. The explosion of connected assets and the sophistication of modern adversaries demand a shift to Zero Trust security architectures.

Zero Trust operates on the principle of “never trust, always verify.” Unlike legacy models that assume trust for devices and users within a network, Zero Trust continuously validates every entity attempting to access systems and data. This approach is critical for securing XIoT ecosystems, where default credentials, shared authentication mechanisms, and high volumes of connected devices create an environment ripe for exploitation.

Implementing Zero Trust for XIoT presents unique challenges. Many organizations still rely on legacy authentication mechanisms that do not account for today’s sophisticated attack techniques. Others struggle with enforcing strict access policies across thousands, or even millions, of XIoT devices. And because XIoT systems often include mission-critical infrastructure, applying security updates without disrupting operations is difficult.

Despite these challenges, organizations cannot afford to ignore Zero Trust principles in XIoT environments. Without continuous verification of users and devices, attackers can move laterally across networks and access critical systems undetected. A Zero Trust approach ensures every connection, whether from a human user or an XIoT device, is authenticated, monitored, and restricted based on the principle of least privilege.

How CrowdStrike Protects XIoT in a Converging, Zero Trust World

Securing XIoT in today’s evolving threat landscape requires a proactive, intelligent approach that delivers complete visibility, real-time threat detection, and a Zero Trust security model designed to defend against both known and emerging adversaries. The CrowdStrike Falcon platform is built to meet these challenges, ensuring organizations can embrace the power of XIoT without exposing themselves to cyber threats.

One of the biggest challenges organizations face is a lack of visibility across XIoT environments. Falcon for XIoT solves this problem by continuously identifying and mapping every connected asset within an organization’s infrastructure. This real-time asset inventory allows security teams to understand the full scope of their attack surface, ensuring no device goes unmonitored. With this insight, organizations can proactively manage vulnerabilities, prioritize risks, and take action before attackers can exploit weaknesses.

Figure 1. Falcon for XIoT delivers complete XIoT asset and vulnerability visibility, including assets converging IT and XIoT environments Figure 1. Falcon for XIoT delivers complete XIoT asset and vulnerability visibility, including assets converging IT and XIoT environments
Even with visibility, XIoT environments require constant monitoring to detect and neutralize threats before they disrupt operations. Falcon for XIoT provides real-time threat detection powered by AI and machine learning, allowing security teams to spot anomalies and indicators of compromise the moment they occur. Traditional security tools struggle to differentiate between legitimate activity and potential threats in XIoT environments, but Falcon for XIoT is built specifically to recognize the behaviors and attack patterns that target connected devices. Whether it’s an unauthorized attempt to access a critical control system or a compromised device communicating with an external threat actor, Falcon for XIoT immediately alerts security teams and automates the necessary response to contain the threat before it escalates.
Figure 2. XIoT monitoring with Falcon for XIoT — visualize threat activity and take action as the user sees fit Figure 2. XIoT monitoring with Falcon for XIoT — visualize threat activity and take action as the user sees fit
As organizations adopt a Zero Trust model to protect their XIoT assets, securing identities becomes a critical priority. Unlike traditional IT networks, XIoT devices often rely on shared credentials, weak authentication, or default passwords — making them an easy target. CrowdStrike Falcon® Identity Threat Protection addresses this risk by continuously monitoring access patterns, enforcing strong authentication policies, and detecting credential-based attacks in real time. By integrating seamlessly with the broader Falcon platform, it ensures only authorized users and devices gain access to critical XIoT systems, preventing adversaries from exploiting identity-based vulnerabilities.
Figure 3. Falcon Identity Threat Protection provides unified visibility across XIoT, cloud, endpoints, and identities to correlate and detect cross-domain attacks, stopping adversaries from moving laterally across IT and XIoT environments Figure 3. Falcon Identity Threat Protection provides unified visibility across XIoT, cloud, endpoints, and identities to correlate and detect cross-domain attacks, stopping adversaries from moving laterally across IT and XIoT environments

For organizations that need an additional layer of security expertise, CrowdStrike offers managed services designed to strengthen XIoT security without overwhelming internal teams. CrowdStrike Falcon® Complete Next-Gen MDR provides 24/7 monitoring, threat hunting, and hands-on remediation so businesses can focus on operations while CrowdStrike’s experts handle security incidents. Meanwhile, the CrowdStrike Counter Adversary Operations team brings together elite threat analysts who proactively hunt for sophisticated attackers targeting XIoT environments. This combination of AI-driven automation and human expertise enables organizations to stay ahead of adversaries, even as threats evolve.

With CrowdStrike, businesses can secure their XIoT environments with confidence, ensuring connectivity, automation, and efficiency don’t come at the cost of security. By combining industry-leading visibility, real-time threat detection, identity protection, and expert-driven managed services, CrowdStrike delivers a comprehensive security strategy that empowers organizations to embrace the future of XIoT — without fear of compromise.

Moving Toward a Secure Future

The convergence of IT and XIoT systems and the adoption of Zero Trust architectures represent a transformative shift in cybersecurity. While these trends pose challenges, they also provide an opportunity for organizations to strengthen their defenses and embrace innovation securely.

CrowdStrike’s Falcon platform offers a comprehensive solution to these challenges. By combining advanced technology, unparalleled visibility, and expert-driven managed services, CrowdStrike helps organizations secure their XIoT environments from edge to core.

Take the Next Step in XIoT Security

Learn more about how CrowdStrike can secure your XIoT ecosystems with solutions like Falcon for XIoT. Request a demo to see how we can help protect your business in a converging, connected world.

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