The pandemic revealed how legacy technologies have worn out their welcome. Government institutions and private sector organizations have been using outdated software for years until COVID-19 exposed several gaps in terms of performance and scalability. Sam Humphries, Security Strategist at Exabeam explains how cloud can help organizations overcome constraints and elevate security posture.
As the U.S. hunkered down in reaction to COVID-19, several states were left struggling to meet a massive uptick in unemployment demands, leading to mass chaos — including websites crashing, social securityOpens a new window fields being eight spaces, not nine and municipalities Opens a new window being forced to send PIN numbers to individuals in the mail due to the inability to handle the traffic influx.
These recent problems highlighted another issue plaguing not just state and local municipalities, but the private sector as well: the downfalls of legacy tech. Legacy tech refers to any software or hardware that is outdated or obsolete. During the pandemic, it became clear that many government agencies and organizations simply did not have the technology built to handle a sudden rise in traffic on a network due to many services transitioning online.
Not only do governments and organizations struggle to keep their infrastructure running properly with legacy tech, it can also leave them vulnerable to cyberattacksOpens a new window . Headlines have been filled with stories on vulnerabilities plaguing outdated applications and adversaries finding loopholes in aging infrastructure for the past several years. The older a system gets, the more the risk of something going wrong increases.
So why don’t federal and state institutions, as well as private sector organizations, fix this problem jeopardizing their success and securityOpens a new window ? Below, we dive into some of the challenges around maintaining and replacing legacy tech and how these entities can find success in the cloud.
Learn More: Know Your Company’s Enemy: 3 Different Types of Data BreachesOpens a new window
The Challenge in Maintaining & Replacing Legacy Tech
Governmental bodies are notorious for their use of legacy tech, despite recognizing the dangers. When Microsoft stopped supporting Windows XP in 2014, special arrangements had to be made with the Pentagon in order to support legacy Opens a new window products on some of their systems until they could be safely modernized. In 2018, it was announced that federal technology spending on legacy systems had increased by 13 percentOpens a new window over the previous five years.
The longer an entity holds onto a legacy system, the more likely they are to experience a cyberattack. Software companies do eventually stop supporting some of their products as new technologies are debuted. Whenever that happens, security updates pushed out from the company cease, and users are forced to pursue a different solution or continue using an unsecure system. If the company experiences a breach due to the continued use of a legacy system, they will have to deal with the repercussions.
Due to budget constraints, it is easier for state and federal agencies and private organizations alike to hold onto outdated hardware until it dies or software is no longer supported on their devices. Core business processes may also rely on the systems in order for them to run, and disrupting day-to-day activity in order to replace it could cost the company.
Until they receive an uptick in business activity using that system and it cannot cope or it is hit with a data breach, they will likely keep running business as usual. When a system is functioning well under normal circumstances, it can be difficult for IT and security teamsOpens a new window to convince company leaders to allocate resources toward upgrading a system. After all – if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right?
Learn More: 8 Step Guide to Defeating Cyber ThreatsOpens a new window
The Role Cloud Plays in Elevating an Organization’s Overall Position Using Legacy Tech System
s
Wrong. There are alternatives that are more secure, efficient, and reliable. The cloud offers an efficient, low-cost option for companies operating on a legacy tech system. Systems are managed by the cloud solutions provider, taking the time and stress off of already resource-strapped IT teams and offering scalability to support increases in traffic on the network. Organizations that were forced to transition to remote work during the pandemic and were already utilizing the cloud experienced an easier transition.
Security is also moving to the cloud for the same reasons. Cloud security protects cloud-based systems, data, and infrastructure from attacks. These particular systems apply multiple different levels of controls that protect the end-users’ data and privacy, support regulatory compliance, mitigate DDoS attacksOpens a new window , and manage it all in one place. These companies also have access to automatic updates and compliance standards, greatly lessening the risk of a cyberattackOpens a new window . Organizations that utilize a cloud security Opens a new window position have a more agile security posture overall.
The great migration to cloud and cloud security platforms has been expedited over the past few months during the pandemic. However, for organizations who have never touched the cloud before or who are still struggling to let go of their legacy systems, they may be intimidated from their lack of experience.
If you are not used to operating in the cloud, it can be a bit of a risk. It is important for organizations to do their due diligence and research that the cloud provider and/or security solutions provider fit their purpose and abide by any legal or compliance Opens a new window requirements for the specific industry. In-house employees may not have the training on how to use it.
For organizations new to the cloud and cloud security, find a consultancy or a partner who can help you. Do some research before making the decision. Even if your organization does not want to operate completely on the cloud, it can benefit from a comprehensive solution that protects digital resources both in the cloud and on-premises.
Don’t wait until it is too late to update your legacy tech both in the realm of storage and security. By incorporating the cloud into your infrastructure, your business can operate at an elevated level and can prevent disruptions in service long after COVID-19 is just a page in our history books.
Let us know if you liked this article on LinkedInOpens a new window , TwitterOpens a new window , or FacebookOpens a new window . We would love to hear from you!