Definition
A legacy system is an obsolete software or hardware that hinders an organization’s development or growth. These systems lack modern technological advancement and cannot adapt to changes in business needs.
Although they were developed long ago, organizations still rely on them because replacing them is too difficult or costly.
Moreover, legacy systems have compatibility issues with modern systems and lack robust security features.
Benefits of Legacy Systems
- Proven Reliability: These systems have been tried and tested to perform their duties efficiently for many years.
- Data Preservation: Mainframe systems hold large volumes of essential data, making them useful for preserving records while avoiding many issues associated with moving to new platforms.
- Cost-Effective: Legacy systems cut operational costs, such as employee training costs and costs of implementing new systems.
- Minimal Training: Employees don’t require any training since they’re already familiar with the old systems.
Risks of Keeping Legacy Systems
- Compatibility: Since legacy systems use obsolete technologies, they can be incompatible with newer systems or technologies that are also indispensable to the business.
- Support: When the mother company no longer supports a system, then the chances of them assisting when there is a hitch are low.
- Data silos: Since legacy systems are old, they do not support integration with other systems. They are designed to keep data separated from other systems.
Preventing Legacy System Attacks
- Implement access control measures, such as multi-factor authentication, to prevent unauthorized users from accessing sensitive data.
- Monitor system logs with security information and event management (SIEM) tools to detect unusual system access attempts or suspicious activities on time.