Security Vulnerabilities
Legacy systems are vulnerable to cyber-attacks, and when manufacturers stop offering support for their access control systems, it also means that any security vulnerabilities become magnified, making it much easier for hackers to gain access to your building, network, applications, or databases. There is also the risk that legacy systems may not be able to support up to date innovations that the modern enterprise requires for both security and compliance.
Given the vulnerabilities that legacy systems come with and the financial and non-financial costs of data breaches, a trust in legacy systems from an enterprise perspective is irresponsible and does not set any given organization up for success now or in the future.
Dwindling Talent Pool
As legacy technology moves further past the point of support availability, fewer IT professionals have the knowledge to support those systems given that these people are constantly updating their skills so that they can support the latest platforms. Consequently, the talent pool of knowledge for legacy systems is constantly becoming smaller. This makes it difficult to find the right IT talent to lock down the modern enterprise from a security perspective.
Inability to Compete
In an era where cloud services are king, it is increasingly difficult for legacy technologies to enable organizations to remain competitive. As data continues to become one of the world’s most valuable commodities and is generated at a rate never seen before, capital expenditures for bare metal servers and other pieces of physical hardware become unsustainable. In fact, cloud options have taken off due to the need for secure remote and mobile access options.
With the proliferation of cloud via infrastructure as a service, platform as a service, and software as a service, organizations can shift these high CAPEX costs to much more sustainable OPEX models.
Another key aspect of leading the way in just about any industry is the ability to scale responsibly, which is something that legacy technologies are not able to offer.
Data loss
As mentioned, legacy systems may not always allow new apps or software to integrate, ultimately leading to data silos. Access to data empowers employees at all levels to use data in innovative ways for faster and better decision making. Data silos limit this, causing roadblocks, frustration, and ultimately financial loss.
Compliance Issues
Countries around the world have implemented privacy standards like GDPR in response to protecting data and information. Failing to comply with these standards can lead to significant penalties and fines if an organizations data is breached. For example, in July 2019, it was announced that credit-reporting company Equifax will pay up to $750 million for a 2017 data breach that compromised the personal information of approximately 147 million people. Given the increasingly connected world that enterprises operate in, legacy systems fall short when it comes to meeting compliance for now, as well as in the coming years.
Ultimately, using legacy technologies as a security solution in today’s environment is the best way to enable security breaches for your organization. The modern threat landscape is far too sophisticated for technology that doesn’t fully secure all endpoints, from both a physical and digital perspective.
Find out more how BioConnect can help modernize your organization’s physical security.