As enterprises race to embrace edge computing to drive agility, speed, and real-time intelligence, they’re also exposing a troubling reality: edge security is being left behind. From retail kiosks to remote factories and healthcare sites, today’s edge environments are often under-protected, under-monitored, and under-prioritized. In this blog, we explore how to fix the broken state of edge security, and how modern, automated approaches like DevEdgeOps are essential to scaling safely.
Trouble Is Brewing
By 2025, a staggering 75% of enterprise data will be processed outside traditional data centers and clouds—up from less than 10% in 2019.¹
Edge infrastructure is expanding rapidly across industries, from autonomous manufacturing lines to smart cities, remote healthcare, and logistics hubs. In fact, global edge spending is expected to reach $350 billion by 2027.²
With that growth comes risk. Most edge sites are “unattended IT”—unmanned, intermittently connected, and often overlooked in security strategies. According to Bank Info Security, edge device breaches are surging.3 The sheer scale and heterogeneity of edge fleets make them harder to monitor, patch, and protect. The edge can’t be a security exception; it must be a security extension.
Risk and the Edge
Edge infrastructure introduces a perfect storm of vulnerabilities:
- Unsecured IoT devices and legacy endpoints
- Outdated firmware and weak access controls
- Limited physical safeguards
- Blind spots in visibility and threat detection
- Supply chain risks around firmware integrity and device trust
Traditional IT security models—reliant on firewalls, perimeter defenses, and centralized controls—simply don’t work in the world of distributed, dynamic edge deployments.
81% of organizations recognize emerging technologies like AI, IoT, and edge computing present significant data protection challenges.4
Embedding Trust into Every Layer
Fixing edge security starts with rethinking how security is integrated. Rather than bolting on protection post-deployment, leading organizations are integrating it into every phase—from hardware provisioning to application updates.
Key principles include:
- Hardware Root of Trust: TPM chips and secure boot validate firmware authenticity
- Zero Touch Provisioning (ZTP): Devices onboard securely with no manual steps, using encrypted credentials and FIDO Device Onboarding (FDO)5
- Out-of-band Management: Allows for diagnostics and recovery even when systems are offline or impaired
- Mutual TLS and Microsegmentation: Encrypts communications and isolates workloads to reduce lateral movement
Edge security must cover all layers—device, user, network, data, and application. And the physical environment still matters: USB lockouts, tamper-evident seals, and port controls remain essential.
You Can’t Protect What You Can’t See
Legacy monitoring tools focused on log reviews won’t cut it. Instead, modern observability stacks built for the edge provide:
- Real-time telemetry from remote nodes
- AI-driven threat detection and correlation
- Unified dashboards for global edge visibility
- Automated response workflows and compliance logs
This is not just about visibility—it’s about intelligence. With real-time data and context, organizations can preempt incidents before they become breaches.
DevEdgeOps: Securing Scale Without Slowing Down
As edge fleets scale, security must be integrated into automation and lifecycle management. Enter DevEdgeOps: a modern model that applies DevOps principles to the unique challenges of the edge.
With DevEdgeOps, every device:
- Is automatically onboarded and validated with secure credentials
- Receives updates and patches based on risk profiles and vulnerability profiles
- Operates under centralized policy and compliance control
DevEdgeOps platforms—such as Dell NativeEdge or VMware Edge Compute Stack—leverage blueprints and automation templates to ensure secure, consistent deployments across thousands of sites.
A recent hands-on analysis of Dell NativeEdge by TechTarget’s Enterprise Strategy Group concluded that automation features can save up to 79% of the time typically spent on deploying and managing edge infrastructure.6 This level of automation doesn’t just accelerate deployment—it enforces compliance, reduces human error, and scales protection in lockstep with innovation.
Four Critical Steps to Take Now
Whether you’ve deployed 10 edge nodes or 10,000, a proactive security audit is essential. Start here:
- Logging and Monitoring: Centralize logs, implement real-time alerts, and monitor for anomalies continuously
- Physical and Supply Chain Validation: Confirm device integrity, check firmware signatures, and inspect for tampering
- Security Testing: Run penetration tests and scan for misconfigurations regularly
- Compliance and Policy Review: Align with regulations like HIPAA, PCI, GDPR, and IEC 62443
Security is not a one-time fix. It’s a process: embedded, enforced, and continuously evolving.
Create a Launchpad—Not a Liability
Edge computing is essential for business agility, real-time intelligence, and future-ready infrastructure. But to unlock these benefits, security must be integrated into every layer, not layered on after deployment.
With DevEdgeOps models, zero touch provisioning, and secure lifecycle management, organizations can:
- Reduce risk
- Accelerate deployments
- Enable real-time, AI-powered services
- Build trust with customers and regulators alike
Don’t wait until the next breach to act. Secure your edge from the start and scale with confidence. Done right, the edge becomes your most secure, agile, and resilient infrastructure layer.
Take a deeper diveinto this topic:
- Read the article: Edge Security is Broken. Here’s How to Fix It
- Check out the infographic: The Edge: Where Innovation Thrives
- Download the eBook: Accelerating Edge Rollouts with Automated and Scalable Solutions
- Watch the Webinar: Edge Compute Management: Transforming IT Operations for Distributed Platforms at Scale
