The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic triggered a digital revolution. It saw businesses around the globe open their doors to the benefits of modernization and explore emerging technologies to enhance productivity. This is true not only for private businesses, but for government agencies as well.
For example, the UK government has been expanding its digital infrastructure in the past months to meet the growing demand of UK citizens who are using government mobile apps and digital services. In the United States, the bipartisan infrastructure bill is said to set aside around $65 billion to improve and expand broadband across the country and help countless Americans gain access to affordable, high-speed internet.
While this is a good thing, both the US and UK governments should be aware that this technological expansion must be matched with an enhanced awareness of cybersecurity threats that can quickly cripple their infrastructure. This is because, the continued use of legacy IT systems can put these plans of digitalization at risk.
Outdated legacy systems are still widely used
All levels of federal and state government in the United States are still using outdated legacy systems. According to the Government Accounting Office (GAO), 10 of the most critical federal legacy systems were between eight to 51 years old. These include the IT systems of the following agencies:
- The Department of Defense
- The Department of Education
- The Department of Health and Human Services
- The Department of Homeland Security
- The Department of the Interior
- The Department of Treasury
- The Department of Transportation
- The Office of Personnel Management
- The Small Business Administration
- The Social Security Administration
The aging systems used by these agencies increase their risk of being hit by a cyberattack. And it's not only in the United States. The Hackney London Borough Council in the UK suffered a ransomware attack targeted at its legacy systems.
Instead of spending millions to maintain these legacy systems, government agencies should think about migrating to new and more secure systems. Here are some of the reasons they should.
1. Security
When a software program or hardware is said to be outdated, it often means that the software publisher or hardware manufacturer no longer supported the outdated item. That is, the publisher or manufacturer no longer sends security patches and updates for it; and the more time passes, more of its vulnerabilities get exposed. Cybercriminals prefer to target these vulnerabilities because of how easy they are to exploit.
No support also means no backup assistance, so agencies using outdated systems will have a hard time retrieving data that's been lost to cyberattacks
2. Cost-efficiency
Many agencies opt to continue using legacy systems to avoid additional expenses. However, this can actually cost them more in the long run. Over time, support and updates for older systems become more costly compared to more current systems because it takes additional work for manufacturers to offer continued support for these old systems.
3. Performance
Legacy systems perform significantly slower compared to today's modern systems. In addition, the outdated software and hardware used by these old systems make them prone to system failure and downtime, which can lead to inefficiency and lost productivity.
4. Compliance
Compliance standards such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) require organizations both in the private and public sectors to comply with specific data privacy and cybersecurity standards to ensure critical and private information is protected at all times.
Unfortunately, the outdated hardware and software used by legacy systems prevent them from meeting these compliance requirements, which often results in hefty fines and penalties.
If your organization is still relying on legacy systems, you're exposing your business, your employees, and your customers to various cyberthreats. You can modernize your infrastructure by partnering with a trusted managed IT services provider like Safebit Solutions. Our cybersecurity specialists will help you find the ideal digital solutions for your organization. Call us now to learn more.
