The security risks of old IT infrastructure

Cybersecurity threats aren’t just growing in number, they’re also rapidly increasing in sophistication. It’s all too easy for businesses to be caught out – and those that are hit by cyberattacks could find themselves suffering serious, and lasting, financial and reputational damage.

According to the UK government’s 2024 cyber security breaches survey, 50% of businesses report having been targeted by cyberattacks, so this is a major problem – and in today’s rapidly evolving cybersecurity landscape, up-to-date IT infrastructure is essential to keep businesses secure from online criminals. But too many businesses are still running on outdated tech. Obsolete systems not only struggle to support the latest apps, but also represent a significant security risk. In this blog, we’ll look at the key security vulnerabilities associated with old IT infrastructure and the steps you can take to mitigate these risks.

Lack of vendor support

As technology evolves and old solutions are replaced by newer ones, vendors eventually discontinue support for older hardware and software. This can leave users at greater risk of cybersecurity breaches, making it easier for criminals to get past inadequate defences.

When vendors withdraw support for old tech, vulnerabilities can go unaddressed as patches, updates and technical support come to an end. This leaves systems more exposed to exploits, making organisations more vulnerable to cyberattacks.

Incompatibility with new security tools

Cybersecurity is a cat and mouse game. Both online criminals and cybersecurity experts are constantly trying to get the better of one another, and this means that cybersecurity threats are continually changing – which requires new security tools for protecting against them.

However, older hardware and software systems may be incompatible with up-to-date security solutions, such as advanced encryption, intrusion detection systems and multi-factor authentication. This can represent a serious security risk, relatively easy for hackers to exploit.

Compliance issues

Businesses dealing with customer data are subject to regulatory requirements, such as GDPR, as well as other compliance regulations. Failure to comply with these legislative requirements can leave businesses facing heavy fines, as well as damaging their reputation.

Security tools which are old and outdated may leave businesses in breach of their compliance requirements, as well as putting them at greater risk of being attacked by criminals.

Inadequate integration

Another problem many firms face is that their IT infrastructure is something of a mish-mash, consisting of new and old technologies that aren’t properly integrated. Modern IT tools, however, often require integration with other up-to-date systems in order to function fully.

This lack of integration can leave gaps in your cybersecurity architecture, as well as making workflows less efficient. This can, again, leave your organisation at increased risk of security breaches by giving criminals additional vulnerabilities to exploit.

Increased operational costs and security risks

Older technologies often have well-documented security vulnerabilities, which hackers know how to take advantage of. They can then use this knowledge to gain unauthorised access to your organisation’s systems, steal customer data and hold it to ransom, or disrupt your operations.

In general, old systems are more susceptible to attacks that can lead to data breaches. Operating and maintaining outdated tech can also be costlier in the long run, diverting your business’s financial resources away from proactive security measures to protect it from attacks.

How to strengthen cybersecurity

There are numerous steps your organisation should take to boost its cybersecurity. Systems should be regularly updated and received the latest security patches, and your business should have a lifecycle management plan in place to upgrade or replace outdated software and hardware.

Your organisation should also invest in robust monitoring and incident response systems so that any threats are detected and dealt with as swiftly as possible. Regular security audits should be carried out to identify any potential vulnerabilities.

At Solsoft, we’re passionate about helping small and medium-sized businesses, and not-for-profits, get the most out of IT. Contact us today to book a call, and let’s discuss what we can do for your organisation.