It’s not a stretch to say that most organizations have at least some old hardware and software still in use. An old computer that’s still chugging along, running an old operating system and perhaps an application that is hard to replace, doesn’t necessarily raise a red flag with IT staff. Why spend money on new equipment or software if what’s already in-house is adequate and functioning?
Walker White, president of BDNA, a company that tracks and analyzes end-of-life (EOL) data for hardware, software and medical devices, says that the main problem with out-of-date software and legacy hardware is that once they pass their EOL cycle, the vendor no longer maintains or supports the products, resulting in security vulnerabilities and risk to organizations. As BDNA’s State of the Enterprise Report (Q2 2016) indicates, many organizations are unaware of the potential liabilities, which can cost millions of dollars in the case of a successful attack after a vulnerability is exploited.
Here’s a look at the hardware, software and mobile device vulnerabilities you should tackle now to reduce risk and increase security.