Forescout Report: Network Infrastructure Risk Surpasses Endpoints, Exposing New Vulnerabilities
Event summary
- Forescout's 2026 Riskiest Connected Devices Report identifies 11 new device types as high-risk, including serial-to-IP converters, time clocks, and medical image printers.
- Network infrastructure devices now represent the highest overall risk, surpassing traditional endpoints.
- 75% of the riskiest device types were not on the list two years ago, indicating a rapidly shifting threat landscape.
- Legacy Windows operating systems are prevalent in retail (39%), healthcare (35%), and financial services (29%).
- Telnet usage is rising in financial services (3% to 12%), manufacturing (5% to 12%), and healthcare (6% to 8%).
The big picture
Forescout's report highlights a significant and accelerating trend: the expansion of attack surfaces beyond traditional endpoints into specialized, often unmanaged, network devices. This shift reflects the increasing complexity of modern enterprise networks and the growing sophistication of threat actors. The findings underscore the inadequacy of perimeter-focused security models and the need for a more holistic, risk-based approach to cybersecurity, potentially creating a significant market opportunity for companies like Forescout that offer comprehensive asset visibility and automated control.
What we're watching
- Operational Risk
- The increasing prevalence of legacy systems and unmanaged devices in operational technology environments will likely drive demand for automated containment solutions, potentially benefiting Forescout's product offerings.
- Regulatory Scrutiny
- Heightened regulatory focus on cybersecurity, particularly within healthcare and financial services, will likely accelerate adoption of risk assessment and mitigation tools like those offered by Forescout.
- Attack Vector Evolution
- The shift towards exploiting network infrastructure and emerging device categories suggests attackers will continue to target less-hardened areas, requiring Forescout to continually update its threat intelligence and risk scoring methodologies.
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