ABI Research recently released a startling statistic: Malware targeting IoT devices climbed 700% during the pandemic.

The attacks, according to the tech market research firm, targeted more than 500 different types of devices and have grown increasingly in sophistication, putting networks and data in danger.

According to ABI: “Most organizations frequently misunderstand or dismiss these events as less significant than a conventional network attack. However, IoT attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated and severely threaten corporate network integrity, data security, and even physical safety.”

“Knowing that security is critical to the success of IoT projects is important, but beyond that, the key is understanding how that security should be deployed to achieve a good return on investment, both from a risk reduction and business optimization perspective,” said Michela Menting, senior research director at ABI, in a prepared statement.

“It’s easy to throw money at the problem, but without careful planning and management, the potential of security technologies ends up wasted, with organizations footing the bill for sub-par value.”