Forescout Shows Segmentation Often Hides Lateral Paths
Forescout analyzed 47,700 real-world network segments and found that mixed zones are common: nearly half of segments containing OT or medical devices also include IT and IoT, and the average segment held 54 devices across four device types.
That matters because a segment that is supposed to separate sensitive systems often does not. If a camera or workstation shares the same boundary as OT or IoMT devices, a compromise of the ordinary device can become a lateral path into systems operators assumed were isolated.
For organizations that treat segmentation as the control protecting crown-jewel systems, the exposure sits in the zone itself, not just the device that gets owned first. The label on the network does not guarantee a separate trust domain if mixed device classes still share it.