The reliability of your software is inversely proportional to the number of updates it has received in the most recent time period. When hardware or software arrives at its End-of-Life (EoL) or End-of-Service (EoS), it indicates that essential patches and updates are no longer being distributed for that product. Because of this, you are susceptible to a wide variety of different vulnerabilities.
Some people make the mistake of assuming that the software can be utilized in its current state, which leads them to delay upgrading the software. Nevertheless, utilizing software that has been rendered obsolete can result in a variety of issues, such as compliance problems, the loss of data, and security risks.
In this article, we will discuss the primary repercussions of running obsolete software, and we will explain why it is essential to take action when your software nears end-of-life or end-of-support status. The completion of either of these milestones indicates that the development phase of the software has come to an end.
The consequences of utilizing outmoded computer software
There are three different types of consequences that result from using outdated software:
Security consequences
Using out-of-date software can result in a number of serious security issues, including the following:
- You are no longer receiving security updates that are supplied by the vendor, leaving your system open to attack from known vulnerabilities.
- If threat actors have already reverse-engineered the software and developed exploit code, it may be easier for them to compromise your system.
- When you use outdated software, it increases the risk of incompatibility problems with other software and hardware, which can lead to corruption or loss of data.
- Your company could be in violation of its own security policies if it continues to use outdated software, which would hinder both its future security and its operational excellence.
Privacy consequences
Using outdated software can have significant negative effects on one’s privacy. You may be subject to a data privacy fine if the software in question is no longer supported by its original manufacturer and the software in question contains sensitive data.
The Federal Trade Commission in the United States, for example, is taking action against Chegg Inc. because the company failed to patch vulnerabilities that exposed sensitive information on millions of its customers and employees. This information included Social Security numbers, email addresses, and passwords. Allegedly, Chegg was unable to address issues despite the fact that there were four security breaches over a period of five years.
According to the proposed order from the FTC, the company is required to immediately address the vulnerabilities and take additional measures. These additional measures include limiting the amount of data it can collect and retain, providing users with multifactor authentication to secure their accounts, and allowing users to access and delete their own data.
Productivity consequences
The use of outdated software can have a significant impact on the overall productivity of an organization. It is possible for employees to become frustrated and for workflows to be disrupted if, for example, the software is slow, frequently crashes, or is otherwise difficult to use. This can then result in a poor experience for the customer, which can be detrimental to both the reputation of the company and its bottom line. As a result, keeping your software up to date is absolutely necessary in order to avoid these problems.
Work together to achieve success.
If you are aware of the dangers that are associated with utilizing out-of-date software, then you have already accomplished the first step toward securing your company. However, since you will need to invest additional time and effort while managing an organization, it may be challenging for you to reduce the negative effects that were discussed earlier in this paragraph. Choosing us as your information technology service provider can help reduce the stress you feel.
In order to ensure the safety of your company, we are able to assist you in locating outdated software and hardware. We are able to provide you with information on the most recent security risks and ways to address them. In addition, we are able to bring your systems up to date with the most recent versions, which will ensure the highest possible level of safety. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us to schedule an appointment.
You can obtain additional details by downloading our infographic titled “What Does End of Support Mean for Your Business?”
Source: * www.ftc.gov