The staggering growth of Cyber-Physical System (CPS) security, particularly within the Internet of Things (IoT) sector, is undeniable. As our recent infographic on the 2025 CPS landscape detailed, this market is on an explosive trajectory, driven by the relentless proliferation of connected devices and an ever-evolving, increasingly sophisticated threat landscape (including AI-driven threats). Further underscoring this trend, industry projections now indicate the IoT security market is set to surpass a colossal USD 557.9 billion by 2034. This isn’t just a number; it’s a clear signal of the critical challenge and urgent need that lies in securing the vast network of CPS devices that underpin modern enterprises.
As organizations integrate billions of IoT devices—from security cameras and access controls to industrial sensors and building management systems—they are inadvertently creating a sprawling and often poorly understood attack surface. The challenge, as highlighted by recent industry insights from Gartner and other researchers, isn’t just the sheer volume of these devices; it’s their inherent vulnerabilities, the complexities of IT/OT convergence, and the often-overlooked lifecycle management of these critical assets.
The Unseen Risk in Unmanaged Cyber-Physical Systems
By the close of 2025, it’s anticipated that over 25 billion IoT connections will be active globally. Many of these devices, particularly in operational technology (OT) and industrial control system (ICS) environments, include legacy systems not originally designed for network connectivity or robust security. This creates a perfect storm where outdated firmware, default or weak passwords, and expired security certificates become open doors for malicious actors. The consequences extend far beyond data breaches; they can manifest as physical disruptions, safety hazards, and significant operational downtime.
The convergence of IT and OT, while unlocking efficiencies, further complicates the security paradigm. Traditional IT security measures often don’t translate well to the OT world, which prioritizes availability and safety. This is where specialized solutions become not just important, but essential.
Viakoo: Bringing Order to CPS Chaos and Securing the Future
In this hyper-growth, high-risk environment, organizations need a comprehensive enterprise CPS security platform designed to tackle these challenges head-on. Viakoo’s approach is built on three core pillars: Remediate, Repatriate, and Govern.
- Automated Remediation at Scale: Viakoo directly addresses the most common and critical CPS vulnerabilities through automation. This includes:
- Firmware Patching: Ensuring devices are running the latest, most secure firmware versions is a foundational security practice, yet often a logistical nightmare at scale. Viakoo automates this crucial task.
- Password Policy Management: Weak or default passwords are a leading cause of CPS breaches. Viakoo automates the verification and implementation of strong password policies across all connected devices.
- Certificate Management: In an era moving towards Zero Trust architectures, ensuring every CPS device has a valid, current digital certificate is paramount for secure authentication and communication. Viakoo automates the provisioning and management of these certificates (e.g., 802.1x, TLS).
- Repatriation – Full Network Citizenship: Beyond just fixing vulnerabilities, Viakoo aims to “repatriate” every CPS device, ensuring it can operate as a full, secure, and value-delivering citizen of the enterprise network. This means devices are not just patched but are also configured correctly and functioning as intended with respect to the application managing them.
- Comprehensive Governance and Compliance: With increasing regulatory scrutiny on CPS and IoT security, organizations need robust auditing and reporting capabilities. The Viakoo Action Platform provides automated tracking, data reporting, and alerts for compliance with standards like PCI, NERC, and NIST, offering “push-button compliance reporting”.
Why Viakoo is Indispensable in a Rapidly Expanding Market
The projected $557.9 billion CPS security market isn’t just about CPS security products; it’s about providing effective, scalable solutions to deeply complex problems. Viakoo’s platform is uniquely positioned because:
- Automation is Non-Negotiable: Managing the security hygiene of tens of thousands, or even millions, of distributed CPS devices and applications manually is an impossible task. Viakoo’s automation capabilities make enterprise-scale CPS security achievable.
- Bridging the IT/OT Gap: Viakoo extends essential cyber hygiene practices—discovery, patching, password management, certificate control—to the often-neglected IoT, OT and ICS devices, crucial in converged environments.
- Addressing the Skills Shortage: The cybersecurity industry faces a significant talent deficit. By automating complex and time-consuming tasks, Viakoo empowers existing teams to manage vast CPS estates more effectively, reducing the dependency on scarce specialized expertise.
- Proactive Risk Reduction: By continuously monitoring and remediating vulnerabilities, Viakoo helps organizations move from a reactive to a proactive security posture, significantly reducing their attack surface before breaches occur.
- Ensuring Operational Resilience: Secure and properly functioning CPS devices are critical for modern business operations. Viakoo’s focus on remediation and repatriation ensures these devices remain reliable assets rather than liabilities.
Navigating the Future of Connected Operations
The explosive growth of the IoT security market is a direct reflection of the critical need to secure the cyber-physical systems that increasingly run our world. As organizations deploy more connected devices to drive efficiency and innovation, they must concurrently address the inherent risks.
Solutions like the Viakoo Action Platform are no longer a luxury but a necessity. By providing scalable, automated discovery, remediation, and governance for the entire lifecycle of IoT/OT/ICS devices, Viakoo empowers enterprises to confidently embrace the benefits of a connected world, ensuring their digital transformation is built on a foundation of security and trust. As the market surges towards that $557.9 billion horizon, the ability to see, secure, and manage every cyber-physical asset will become the baseline for managing overall organizational risk.
