IoT Penetration Testing: Definition, Process, Tools, and Benefits
Security Boulevard, Saturday, January 31st, 2026
IoT penetration testing is a security assessment of the complete IoT ecosystem, from backend systems and cloud services to mobile devices and hardware. It involves a multi-stage simulated attack on IoT devices and their supporting system to identify security risks before attackers can exploit them.
Unpatched firmware is responsible for 60% of IoT security breaches, according to the IoT Security Foundation. In 2024, Southern Water experienced a cyber incident affecting around 5-10% of its customers, exposing personal data of customers and employees. The attackers exploited an IoT-based water monitoring system running outdated firmware to gain unauthorised access to internal servers.
In 2024, an NHS Trust suffered a data breach after attackers exploited vulnerabilities in connected medical devices to access patient records, affecting thousands of patients. The attackers exploited outdated firmware in IoT-enabled diagnostic equipment to gain entry into the Trust's network.