Forescout Technologies has released its Riskiest Connected Devices in 2026 report from Forescout Research – Vedere Labs, an analysis of millions of devices in Forescout’s device cloud using a multi-factor risk scoring methodology to identify the most at-risk device types in enterprise networks.
This year’s report highlights a surge in newly identified high-risk device types, with eleven appearing on the riskiest list for the first time, including serial-to-IP converters, time clocks, RFID readers, BACnet routers, and medical image printers. The findings continue a significant shift first observed last year. The rate of change has accelerated sharply, as 40% of the riskiest device types were not on the list last year, and 75% were not on the list just two years ago. Together, these results show risk spreading across a broader set of device categories that are often harder to inventory, harden, or patch consistently.
“Organizations are connecting more specialised devices than ever, many of which are unmanaged and unagented, and adversaries are evolving their attacks accordingly,” said Barry Mainz, CEO, Forescout. “Threat actors are increasingly exploiting east-west traffic and could target emerging device categories like serial-to-IP converters, medication dispensing systems, and RFID readers. These devices serve as softer points of entry to the network due to limited hardening, inconsistent patching, widespread use of default credentials, and embedded management interfaces that are rarely monitored compared to traditional endpoints. Once a foothold is gained through one of these devices, attackers move laterally across networks to evade traditional, perimeter-focused security layers. In today’s threat landscape, containment is the new control. The ability to automatically contain the blast radius is critical for effective, modern cyber security.”
Key findings of the report
Riskiest devices across IT, OT, IoT, and IoMT saw significant shifts
Eleven new device types appear on the riskiest devices list for the first time:
- Serial-to-IP converters and workstations (IT)
- Printers, time clocks, and RFID readers (IoT)
- Power distribution units (PDUs), I/O modules, and BACnet routers (OT)
- Medication dispensing systems, medical image printers, and DICOM gateways (IoMT)
75% of the riskiest device types were not on the list just two years ago, and 40% are new to the list this year. Network infrastructure devices now represent the highest risk overall, surpassing traditional endpoints across several categories. Routers surpassed computers and now account for one-third of the most critical vulnerabilities in organizational networks. Routers and switches average nearly 32 vulnerabilities per device.
The end of Windows 10 support is accelerating legacy operating system exposure Legacy Windows operating systems are most prevalent in retail (39%), healthcare (35%), and financial services (29%). Printers, switches, and IP phones most commonly run outdated or unsupported firmware and are often overlooked in patch management programmes.
Protocol exposure is shifting from IT to embedded management access
SSH is now the second most common protocol observed, with rising usage in nearly every sector analysed except retail. Telnet usage, despite being unencrypted and often found on legacy OT and IoT devices, rose significantly across most sectors. Telnet exposure in financial services rose from 3% to 12%; manufacturing exposure increased from 5% to 12%, and healthcare increased from 6% to 8%.
