Internet of Things (IoT)

Connected devices that sense or act on the physical world, such as controls and sensors. Their security depends on the particular product and its supporting software; a weakness in one device does not establish the same weakness in every appliance.

The Internet of Things connects physical equipment with digital systems. A sensor can report a temperature; a controller can alter what equipment does. NIST’s consumer-device definition combines a network interface with a sensor or actuator that interacts with the physical world.

A product may include more than the object in the room. Supporting applications and services can also affect its security. NIST’s consumer baseline therefore considers cybersecurity outcomes for the whole product, rather than treating the device as isolated.

That connection helps explain why a digital intrusion can have physical consequences. It does not make every connected appliance vulnerable to the same technique. The affected product, access arrangements and software all matter. Incidents involving commercial refrigeration are not, by themselves, proof that an attacker can control unrelated household fridges.