ISC2 CISSP Practice Question

The transmission of unencrypted data over the network exposes sensitive operational information to potential interception and monitoring (data in transit vulnerability). When IoT devices transmit unencrypted data, this creates a significant security risk as attackers who gain access to the network can easily capture and read the information being transmitted. This could expose sensitive operational data, enabling industrial espionage or providing attackers with information needed to plan more sophisticated attacks.

While the other options present security concerns, they are less directly relevant to the scenario described. Physical tampering with sensors would require physical access to the facility. Default credentials are certainly a risk but not explicitly mentioned in the scenario. Inconsistent firmware versions may create vulnerabilities but are not as immediate a concern as the clear transmission of unencrypted operational data.