How Windows 11 and Windows Server Support Secure IoT Infrastructure

Maintaining your IoT infrastructure is no longer optional, but has become essential in today’s connected world. The more devices that are connected to the internet, the higher the risk of cyberattacks. Is your business using IoT solutions? You need to keep it running smoothly while providing a secure and strong platform.

Windows 11 and Windows Server help you with your IoT solutions. They have IoT Enterprise editions with stronger security features and management tools. They also come with a long-term support model to keep devices protected for an extended period.

Windows 11 and Windows Server IoT editions provide tools to protect your network. If you are running connected medical devices, secure banking machines, and other smart manufacturing systems, you can safeguard your data through Windows 11 and Windows Server IoT editions. They keep your operations running smoothly, but how do they establish a trusted and secure IoT setup and foundation?

Why Secure IoT Infrastructure Matters More Than Ever

Are you managing an IoT infrastructure? Then, you know the amount of collecting, storing, and transmitting of data that goes among the devices in your work. The data transmitted from these devices may range from health records to financial data and more. If this falls into the wrong hands, you will lose your customers’ trust, and that could severely damage your business financially.

As IoT devices become an increasingly integral part of everyday operations, they have become a primary target for cybercriminals. The IoT infrastructure is a combination of larger systems connected to multiple devices, so a compromised device could potentially allow anyone to access the entire network. This also means that hackers can gain access to confidential information. This is why you need a security built in and not just think about it as an option.

Windows 11 and Windows Server IoT editions address these security challenges with  features such as Zero Trust security, hardware-rooted protection, and integrated threat detection tools. They also receive regular updates to patch vulnerabilities before cyberattacks occur.

Windows 11 IoT Enterprise: Secure from Chip to Cloud

Have you tried working on the Windows 10 IoT Enterprise? Windows 11 IoT Enterprise builds upon the foundation of Windows 10 IoT, with a significantly stronger security standard. It features chip-to-cloud protection, providing security from the hardware and extending all the way to the cloud services of your connected devices. Here are a couple of additional IoT security features available with Windows 11.

• You get a secure boot and TPM 2.0, which protects your devices during startup. These features ensure that only trusted software runs.
• You also have a virtualization-based security (VBS). This isolates sensitive processes from the rest of the system, preventing attacks.
• You also have a credential guard and a device guard. It helps prevent credential theft and unauthorized code execution.
• It also features application compatibility, allowing you to run older applications. Through this, you can transition to Windows 11 IoT Enterprise smoothly and without incurring more costs.
• You also have the Zero Trust principles for keeping threats at bay. All devices and users must go through the verification process first.

Windows Server IoT: Powering Large-Scale IoT Infrastructure

Are you managing a massive amount of IoT devices and data? You need the Windows Server IoT to handle large workloads. Whether the devices are hosted on-premises or in the cloud through Azure integration, you can ensure everything is working well and protected. What else does Windows Server IoT provide?

• You achieve scalable performance for processing and analyzing large volumes of IoT data.
• You have flexible licensing for dedicated-purpose devices, making it cost-effective for large deployments.
• You also have advanced security management with features like Active Directory improvements, containerisation, and encrypted communications for protocols, like MQTT and OPC UA.

It is designed for high reliability, ensuring stability and uptime are highly monitored and maintained. If your business operates in IoT environments such as healthcare, manufacturing, or finance, Windows Server IoT offers continuous security updates and support for 10 years. This long-term servicing model will benefit your business greatly. Get to know more of it below.

Long-Term Servicing for Critical IoT Devices

Can you upgrade IoT devices every few years? Yes, but it can be costly, and it is not a realistic expense for your company. So you want to have a Long-Term Servicing Channel to support you with several updates and security patches in the next few years. This will protect your IoT devices for a long time, allowing you sufficient time to create a new budget for future IoT device replacements and upgrades.

Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC and Windows Server IoT both offer LTSC for your IoT devices. This is ideal for IoT environments in healthcare, banking, and manufacturing. In healthcare, you deal with medical devices running on strict regulations. Your devices must also remain stable and compliant with the regulations needed in every country.

In banking, payment systems, and ATMs, high security is a primary requirement for these services. If your business works in banking or finance, you frequently update your OS, and your LTSC must be able to see through the frequent OS updates.

Next, is your business in manufacturing? Production lines are also part of the IoT systems, but what they aim to avoid is the costly downtime. Your production lines must remain consistent and run according to your preferred production hours at a specific number of productions. With the LTSC, you do not have to worry about sudden system changes.

Microsoft Defender for IoT: Full-Scale Protection

Another layer of protection for your IoT infrastructure is Microsoft Defender for IoT. This tool integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, providing comprehensive protection for enterprise- and industrial-level IoT devices. But it also includes agentless monitoring for operational technology devices, an agent-based protection for traditional endpoints, and threat detection for suspicious activity.

Defender for IoT also works in real time and helps you stop attacks before they cause damage. It also fits seamlessly into your existing security framework, making it easier to manage everything from one central point.

Zero Trust: The Core of Modern IoT Security

What is the Zero Trust model? Both Windows 11 and Windows Server IoT have this model that assumes all devices in your network should not be trusted. Most security methods assume devices inside the network could be trusted, but the Zero Trust model offers a different perspective.

How does this work? Every user, device, and application you have in your infrastructure must prove they are verified before gaining access to your network. It also comes with a continuous verification so no unverified device can slip through. Next, you will also have a multi-layered defense, reducing the chances of cyberattacks.

When you have Zero Trust in your IoT infrastructure, hackers will not have access to the rest of your system, even while one device is compromised.

Hardware and Software Security Features That Make a Difference

Windows 11 and Windows Server IoT bring both hardware-based and software-based security measures to your devices. This combination provides a more comprehensive defense against cyber threats.

Hardware-based features include TPM 2.0 for secure encryption and device authentication, and the Secure Boot to block malicious code during startup. The software-based features include Windows Defender Antivirus for malware protection, Credential Guard to prevent identity theft, and Device Guard to control which applications can run.

With these multi-layered approaches, you can address threats from multiple angles. This is perfect and effective for IoT deployments. This layered approach is particularly effective for IoT deployments because it addresses threats from multiple angles.

Building a Future-Proof IoT Setup

If you are serious about keeping your IoT infrastructure safe and secure, Windows 11 and Windows Server IoT have everything you need from hardware to cloud. The Zero Trust principles aim to keep your entire system safe, while long-term servicing provides updates and security patches for the long term, supporting both your current and new IoT devices.

Both Windows 11 and Windows Server IoT are capable of handling the demands of modern connected systems, and if your business is in the healthcare, manufacturing, or finance industries, you will surely need them more than ever.

You are not only protecting your IoT devices but also providing a more resilient and scalable IoT environment, ready to meet future demands and evolving threats. Having the right IoT solutions matters, and Windows 11 and Windows Server IoT offer you the best features for your infrastructure’s needs.

 

About the Author

Abby Tan is a content writer with a knack for turning ideas into engaging, SEO-friendly stories. With years of experience in blogging and Pinterest strategy, she writes about travel, skincare, food, and the latest in tech with equal passion and creativity. Abby is currently part of the writing team at Softvire, a leading IT distributor, where she helps bring digital content to life.