The Dangers of Running Outdated Software

Your software is only as good as its last patch.

Reaching End of Life (EoL) or End of Service (EoS) means critical patches and updates are no longer available. This leaves you vulnerable to various problems.

Business owners occasionally make the mistake of not rushing to upgrade software just because it is still functional.

However, outdated software can lead to security risks, data loss, compliance issues, and more.

It’s crucial to take action when your software reaches EoL or EoS. Read on to find out why.

Implications of Using Outdated Software

The implications of running outdated software can be divided into three categories:

Security Implications

Using outdated software can have severe security implications that leave your system vulnerable to known exploits and lead to data loss or corruption.

If you no longer receive security patches from the vendor, threat actors may have already reverse-engineered the software and developed exploit code.

Running outdated software may cause compatibility issues with other software and hardware. This can violate your organization’s security policies, hindering a secure future and operational excellence.

Privacy Problems

Privacy problems inherent in using outdated software can be severe.

If the software is no longer supported by its vendor and contains sensitive information (e.g., your employee’s Social Security Numbers), you could be at risk of receiving a data privacy fine.

For example, in the United States, the Federal Trade Commission is taking action against Chegg Inc.

The company failed to patch vulnerabilities that exposed sensitive information about millions of its customers and employees. This included Social Security numbers, email addresses, and passwords.

Chegg allegedly couldn’t address problems despite four security breaches over a five-year period.

According to the FTC’s proposed order, the company must immediately address vulnerabilities and take additional steps.

One such step would be limiting the amount of data it can collect and retain. Additionally, providing users with multi factor authentication to secure their accounts and allowing them to access and delete their data.*

Productivity Issues

Outdated software can have severe productivity implications for a business. For example, if the software runs slowly, crashes frequently or is otherwise difficult to use, it can frustrate employees and disrupt workflows.

From there comes a poor customer experience, damaging your company’s reputation and bottom line.

Collaborate for Success

Mitigating the above implications may seem like a heavy lift for your business.

Partnering with an IT service provider like Matrix Integration can ease the process, saving your time and effort for running your organization.

To protect your business, we can help you identify outdated software and hardware. We can keep you up to date on the latest security threats and how to mitigate them.

We can also update your systems to the latest versions to ensure the best possible protection. For a consultation, feel free to contact us.

You can learn more by downloading our infographic “What Does End of Support Mean for Your Business?” by filling out the form below.

Source: www.ftc.gov