Nothing lasts forever. That’s true for cars, devices, even a favorite sweatshirt or pair of jeans. But it is especially true for information technology (IT).
Legacy IT systems stick around in business settings for three main reasons: organizations don’t have the budget to upgrade, teams need to be able to access critical legacy applications and users refuse to upgrade. However, as much as employees may want to continue using Windows XP, sticking with legacy systems is a bad security practice.
“[T]hese systems tend to have inherent security vulnerabilities and are often not compatible with security features surrounding access, including multifactor authentication, single-sign on and role-based access,” writes Ranjeeta Rani. “Each vulnerability that exists within a system is an open invitation that attracts cybercriminals attempting to exploit businesses.”
Sunsetting a legacy system is not an easy task, but it is a needed one if the company wants to move forward with its security protocols. However, you don’t simply unplug the old and plug in the new. Phasing out your legacy system requires a comprehensive strategy to carry out the process. Here are seven things to consider when implementing your sunsetting plan.
1. Recognize When to Phase Out a Legacy System
Technology tends to have a short life cycle overall, but there are some tell-tale signs when a legacy system needs to be replaced. They include:
The developer no longer offers support for the software and patches aren’t available for newly discovered vulnerabilities
Programming language doesn’t support new and needed applications
It fails to meet compliance regulations
It isn’t keeping up with current business models
Deprecated systems that were once regularly used are now only used for a small percentage ..
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