Securing IoT in everyday life: How to build trust into connected ecosystems

From connected cars and wearable medical devices to smart meters and industrial sensors, the Internet of Things (IoT) is embedded in nearly every aspect of daily life. These billions of connected devices carry countless benefits, but they also expand the attack surface for cybercriminals. That’s why security and trust must be at the foundation of every single IoT deployment.

In this Q&A, we explore how Thales helps protect the digital fabric of IoT across industries – ensuring it remains reliable, resilient, and secure.

Q: What makes IoT such a high-risk environment for cybersecurity?

A: IoT spans everything from autonomous vehicles and utility grids to hospital monitoring systems and home security cameras, and even private mobile networks that connect industrial devices. These devices often operate in uncontrolled environments, with limited physical safeguards and constrained hardware resources.

This creates a vast, distributed attack surface, which now extends into private network infrastructures, and with regulatory frameworks like the EU Cyber Resilience Act, the cost of insecure IoT is high. For organisations, that makes IoT security not just a technical requirement, but a business-critical priority. 

Q: How does Thales secure IoT infrastructure across industries?

A: Thales applies a holistic “Build, Run, Protect” framework for securing IoT deployments:

• Build: Support OEMs in designing secure, cost-effective, and scalable devices using Thales embedded eSIMs and Secure Elements (eSEs).
• Run: Deliver reliable, adaptive connectivity with simplified provisioning and fleet management across global deployments.
• Protect: Safeguard identities and data edge to cloud, with device identity protection, secure firmware updates, and full lifecycle threat management. 

This model ensures that every connected device – whether powering a smart meter, a connected ambulance, or an industrial robot – is protected from factory to field. 

Q: What does Thales’ eSIM technology bring to IoT?

A: eSIM is the backbone of resilient IoT. Thales is the number one provider of remote SIM provisioning platforms globally, with over 400 successful projects across M2M and IoT environments. 

Benefits for IoT deployments include:

• Adaptive connectivity: Devices dynamically connect to the most optimal mobile network based on their location and environment.
• Global scalability: A single SKU can be deployed worldwide and provisioned in the field.
• Battery efficiency: eSIM streamlines in-factory provisioning which in turn provides battery efficiency

Q: How does Thales manage IoT security across the lifecycle?

A: Security isn’t a one-time event, it’s a lifecycle. Thales supports Device Security Lifecycle Management, which includes:

• Trusted identities: eSEs protect device IDs from cloning or tampering.
• Authenticated updates: Firmware-over-the-air (FOTA) ensures devices remain safe against evolving threats.
• PKIaaS: Cloud-based identity management at IoT scale, supporting millions of devices.
• Compliance by design: Thales aligns solutions with EU and global standards

This gives manufacturers, operators, and service providers confidence that devices remain secure for decades.

Q: How does Thales support interoperability and future readiness?

A: Thales is a key contributor to the GSMA SGP.32 standard, helping ensure global interoperability and secure provisioning across device types.

This commitment ensures that IoT deployments remain interoperable, scalable, and future-ready, whether organisations are adding new fleets of vehicles, integrating remote healthcare solutions, or modernising utility grids.

Final Thoughts

IoT has become inseparable from modern life, from how we drive and power our homes to how we receive healthcare. But these innovations rest on an invisible layer of secure, connected infrastructure.

With its proven Build, Run, Protect framework, leadership in eSIM subscription management, and commitment to global standards, Thales ensures that every IoT device, service, and ecosystem is protected by design.

This Cyber Security Awareness Month, one message is clear: resilient industries start with secure IoT. And with Thales, trust is built in from the start.