The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released a guide that identifies a set of voluntary recommended cybersecurity features to include in network-capable IoT devices.
This guide, known as the "Core Baseline," is intended to assist manufacturers and users by providing practical advice for securing IoT devices that connect to computer networks. The recommendations are designed to mitigate risks to IoT security and are not mandatory rules but rather best practices to follow.

The attack surface of a system refers to the sum of all potential points where an unauthorized user can try to enter or extract data from that system. It encompasses all the vulnerabilities, including software flaws, unsecured network ports, and unprotected system endpoints. Therefore, when vulnerabilities are decreased, the attack surface is reduced because there are fewer opportunities for an attacker to exploit. This is a fundamental concept in network security, as reducing the attack surface is a critical step in protecting systems against unauthorized access and potential breaches.

The Paranoid policy is an Internet access policy that begins with the premise that all services are blocked by default. Under this policy, the administrator must explicitly enable each service that is deemed safe and necessary. This approach ensures maximum security as it minimizes the potential attack surface by not allowing any services unless they have been vetted and approved.
Additionally, this policy typically involves extensive logging of all system and network activities, which can be crucial for monitoring, auditing, and forensic purposes.