The Lurking Dangers of Legacy Technology

Forget the competitors! One of the biggest threats to your company may be from within. Like a villainous spy, it’s lurking in the shadows, unsuspecting but deadly. It strikes slowly, but efficiently. What could it be!? Snake? No. Spider? I sure hope not! Ninja? Almost!

Legacy technology.

That’s right, your old hardware and software. Antiquated IT infrastructure that may be long forgotten, but still present. While the manufacturer or developer has turned their back on it, you’re still holding on. Maybe you still find it useful, or not worthy of your precious budget. But Gollum can tell you all about what happens when you don’t let go of your precious. Dark days ahead.

Suffering from the effects of legacy technology is common. And while it may not be realistic to update every piece of legacy technology you may have, you need to be aware of the potential threats it may pose to your organization.

What kind of threats?

Legacy technology is a security risk

The next time you run a software or firmware update, take a look at the update log. Chances are, there will be something security-related. Why’s that? Because new threats arise daily. Security holes enable intruders — human or otherwise — to access or infect your software or device. Luckily, consistent maintenance helps prevent that.

But what happens if there isn’t (and won’t be) a software update available? As the weeks, months, and years go by, new security vulnerabilities will continue to arise. Unbeknownst to you, your legacy technology may become accessible to external (or even internal) threats. And this is how data breaches are born.

Without the attention of its manufacturer or developer, technology will eventually begin to fail. And while processes may appear to be as normal, there could be a serious threat lurking underneath.

Update your technology, increase your efficiency

You want to run an efficient organization. Whether you’re heading up the company or a team, efficiency is key. But how can you be efficient if you’re being limited by the (in)capabilities of legacy hardware or software?

Legacy technologies introduce an efficiency risk through a variety of means.

1. Incompatibility with newer technology — The older the technology, the higher the likelihood that it will be incapable of properly communicating with newer technologies. This could require additional time-consuming manual processes that would otherwise not be needed.
2. The need for specialized staff — As legacy technology continues to age, you’ll have a harder time hiring trained staff capable of operating it. This will either require you to focus resources on training current or future staff, or hiring the specific legacy technology operator that is now demanding a higher salary because of his rarity. And if you do find that exotic breed, there’s a chance he’s so specialized that he isn’t knowledgeable in newer technologies, creating a web of inefficiency.
3. Limited accessibility — Advancements in cloud backup and recovery functionality has enabled quick and globalized accessibility. As workforces continue to turn increasingly remote, legacy technologies will often harm accessibility. After all, tape-based backup isn’t a realistic solution for the mobile world.

Disaster recovery may not be an option

If you are on the receiving end of a security threat or manmade or natural disaster, certain legacy technologies may not be recoverable. Because of incompatibilities with newer technologies, disaster recovery functionality may ignore legacy platforms, especially if the legacy component is incapable of feeding into the cloud. And if the legacy technology is physically destroyed, such as in a power surge or flood, it may be difficult, expensive, or impossible to replace, putting your business processes at risk.

If you’re concerned that legacy technology may be affecting your business, consider having an infrastructure assessment to determine the likelihood of a security breach, potential improvements to efficiency, and next steps for modernization.

And if you’re interested in learning how Razor Technology has helped companies overcome their legacy technology woes, check out our case study with Allies Healthcare. With our expertise in cloud backup and recovery, Allies Healthcare was able to replace their legacy storage solution and then had significantly improved data recoverability.