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Disaster Recovery Protection: Dangers of Outdated Software.

The Dangers of Running Outdated Software

Your software is only as good as its last update.  

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

Many make the mistake of not rushing to upgrade their software because it is still functional. However, outdated software can lead to security risks, data loss, compliance issues and much more.

In this blog, we will discuss the major implications of running outdated software, and explain why it’s crucial to take action when your software reaches EoL or EoS.

Implications of Using Outdated Software

The implications of running outdated software can be segmented into three categories:

Security Implications

Using outdated software can have severe security implications, such as:

  • You no longer receive security updates from the vendor, leaving your system vulnerable to known exploits.
  • Exposes you to hackers that can reverse-engineer the out-of-date software and code, making it easier for them to compromise your system.
  • Running outdated software may cause indirect compatibility issues with other software and hardware, leading to data loss or corruption.
  • Using outdated software may violate your organisation’s security policies, hindering the security and operations of your company.

Privacy Implications

Privacy implications of using outdated software can be severe. If the software is no longer supported by its vendor and contains sensitive information, you could be at risk of receiving a data privacy fine.

In March 2021 for example, up to 7,000 Australian business were sanctioned for failing to address vulnerabilities in their Microsoft Exchange Servers that had potential to expose sensitive information about millions of its customers and employees.  

By simply continuing to use Microsoft Exchange Users from 2013, 2016 or even 2019, these businesses had left email accounts susceptible to malware attacks and other vulnerabilities.

Productivity Implications

Outdated software can have significant productivity implications for a business.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.

This can, in turn, lead to poor customer experience, impacting on the reputation and bottom line of all parties involved. Therefore, it is important to keep software up to date to avoid these problems.

Collaborate with an IT Partner

You’ve already taken the first step toward securing your company by recognising the dangers of using outdated software. However, mitigating the above implications whilst juggling your own work can seem like some heavy lifting for many. Collaborating with an IT Partner like Step Fwd IT can simplify this for you.

With our help, your business can:

  • Identify outdated software and hardware.
  • Keep you up to date on the latest security threats and how to mitigate them.
  • Update your systems to their latest versions to ensure the best possible protection.

Get in touch with the Step Fwd IT Team today to schedule a free initial consultation!

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