Legacy IT security: lowering risk associated with legacy systems

July 12, 2021
Access Tech Insights

Recent exploits into the fragility of legacy technology, or rather the risks these technologies could expose an organization to, have given rise to more conversations about legacy IT security. Cyber security has always been on the minds of IT personnel, but given the extent of antiquated technology still in service today, security planning must be a higher priority.

To be clear, most legacy systems aren’t a risk due to their age or functionality – it’s more about how they’re managed, or in most cases, how they’re not managed. In most situations, the legacy IT security problems are associated with the fact that they’ve been forgotten about, to a large extent, which puts organizations at risk for a security breach.

Think of the IoT issues that have been well documented. It’s not that these technologies are inherently bad; it’s that they aren’t monitored and therefore become a gateway for hackers to break in.

Steps to safer legacy use

There are some situations where legacy IT has not been forgotten about and is correctly managed, yet security issues still come up. What happens in these cases is that there is a gap between IT maintenance and operational technology maintenance. This situation accounts for the failure to protect your network and data from exposure. To prevent this from occurring with your legacy systems, consider the following:

  • Identify any technology that could fit the description of a legacy system.
  • Is that technology still a relevant part of a high-functioning workflow?
  • How, exactly, is the technology being used?
  • Who is using it, and who is responsible for maintaining/managing it?

What you’re doing is auditing your technology. You’re accounting for everything tied to your system and tracking who is responsible for it. This is a key part of a strong cyber security strategy.

Companies are constantly scaling and updating their software and hardware. This requires continual monitoring of all aspects of a system. IT strategies that include assigning a lead to this task are bound to be more successful than those that don’t.

Partner With the Right Agent

At Access Tech, we’re highly involved in assisting companies in getting their legacy IT security issues ironed out. We take a customized approach to finding the best technology for companies and the best security solutions for organizations that are focused on staying on top of cyber security issues. Contact us and learn more about our approach to keeping our clients safe and secure.

For more insights on this topic: