Logistics and transport companies recorded the highest incidence of cellular Internet of Things (IoT) security incidents among the industries surveyed in new international research.
More than a quarter (27%) of logistics and transport respondents reported experiencing an IoT security incident in the past 12 months, compared with 26% in manufacturing, 25% in smart buildings, 24% in healthcare and 19% in energy.
The findings come from The Connected Fleet 2026 report, produced by IoT connectivity provider Pelion in partnership with ABI Research. The research surveyed 675 cellular IoT decision-makers, including 165 from the logistics and transport sector.
Threat detection was a particular concern for the sector, with 62% of logistics and transport respondents identifying insufficient threat detection as one of the biggest security risks associated with scaling IoT deployments – the highest proportion recorded among the industries surveyed.
The report said the expansion of connected vehicles, trailers, warehouses and cargo assets was increasing the number of potential points of exposure that logistics companies needed to manage.
IoT connectivity is used across freight and logistics operations for applications including real-time fleet tracking, cold-chain monitoring, parcel visibility and the remote monitoring of assets.
Connectivity hampers expansion
Unstable cellular connectivity and network capacity were also identified as significant obstacles to expanding IoT deployments.
Some 68% of logistics and transport respondents cited unstable connectivity or network capacity as a major obstacle to scaling their IoT operations, the highest proportion among the sectors surveyed.
The broader survey found that managing deployments outside core coverage areas was the most commonly reported scaling problem, cited by 65% of respondents, while 62% reported unstable connectivity or capacity concerns.
Almost half (47%) struggled with the use of multiple connectivity management platforms, while 60% identified a lack of internal or external expertise as the leading factor delaying or blocking cellular IoT projects.
Cross-border deployments grow
The research found that the international footprint of cellular IoT deployments was expected to increase significantly over the next five years.
International connections are forecast to account for 49% of cellular IoT deployments by 2030, compared with about 29% currently.
The shift towards international deployments increased the operational complexity associated with managing connectivity across multiple networks, regulatory jurisdictions, roaming arrangements and connectivity management platforms, the report says.
Connectivity had become more difficult to manage as companies expanded their connected fleets internationally and operated across multiple networks and regulatory environments, said Pelion CEO, Dave Weidner. “Organisations are increasingly looking for partners that can simplify that operational complexity rather than add to it.”
