The global supply chain is facing a growing threat from increasingly sophisticated cargo theft, with losses reaching nearly $725 million in 2025. This surge in theft has led to a significant increase in the number of reported incidents, with 3,594 supply chain crime events recorded in the US and Canada last year alone. The average value of stolen goods has also risen substantially, with confirmed cargo theft incidents increasing by 18% year-over-year and the average theft value growing by 36% to $273,990.
A new generation of ambient Internet of Things (IoT) technology is emerging as a tool to combat this growing threat. Wiliot, a supply chain visibility technology firm, has developed an ambient IoT platform that gives individual products a digital identity and can detect theft, diversion, or handling issues in real-time as shipments move through the supply chain. This technology uses battery-free sensor tags that can detect location, movement, temperature, and other conditions at the pallet, case, or item level.
The Internet of Things and what we call now Ambient IoT, the ability of devices to have sensing components to it, is an all-time high, and it's now a new frontier,
The increasing sophistication of cargo theft poses a significant challenge to traditional supply chain tracking methods, highlighting the need for innovative solutions like ambient IoT technology.
