Legacy Systems Are Not Secure. Fixing Them Is Easy.

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” So the old adage goes. But that advice might be as outdated as your software.

It’s typical for companies to rely on systems that have been running for years. These legacy systems are antiquated, but continue to perform important business functions. The original programmers are gone, but they’ve left a tangled mess of code, written in an archaic language or tied to unsupported third-party utilities. You might not even have access to the original source code. 

The time and cost to update, upgrade, or replace these systems can be prohibitively expensive, especially when you consider the cost of retraining end-users.

Legacy systems are often insecure. They were developed at a time when security was not a requirement or even an option. Due to compliance and regulations, however, you are now tasked with making sure ALL of your systems and their data are secure.

New regulations and company policies mandating that all data must be encrypted pose a particular problem for legacy systems. Although a business may find its needs met by these old systems, their retention brings about a host of security vulnerabilities that need to be addressed.

“We work with organizations across all sectors that have been struggling with how to ensure the data stored on their legacy systems is secure and compliant with government privacy standards,” said David Stonehill, CTO, NetLib Security. “NetLib Encryptionizer, our powerful platform, is an efficient, cost-effective, and highly functional solution. Rather than rebuilding legacy software, or investing in new hardware, Encryptionizer can help organizations secure their databases with no additional code or upgrades.”

These risks apply across industries. Healthcare organizations deal with sensitive patient data, government agencies process critical data spanning everything from voters to essential infrastructure, and companies have to protect their intellectual property as well as private customer information. Data security is an essential concern for all., Neglecting security requirements can put your business at severe risk. 

The Risks of NOT Securing Your Legacy Systems

Legacy systems warrant particular attention.  A system that is outdated or is no longer supported or patched by the original vendor is vulnerable to attack.  Cyber criminals can use this static condition to their advantage, targeting outdated systems.  No longer receiving critical updates that can patch security holes leaves an organization unprotected against the bad actors. 

Equifax, with its critical 2017 data breach, would be well aware of this fact.  In March of that year, a vulnerability was disclosed in the Apache Struts software, which Equifax used to run some of its most critical IT applications on legacy systems developed in the 1970s.  Despite the warnings, Equifax did not fully patch its systems, leading to the exposure of almost 150 million people’s personal data and a fine of around $700 million.

According to Etay Maor, Senior Director of Security Strategy at Cato Networks, the cyber security industry focuses on major events and data breaches, like the SolarWinds hack, often overlooking vulnerabilities and bugs that exist within older systems.  Cato’s analysis indeed observed hackers scanning for such vulnerabilities, as a way to gain a foothold into the wider environment.  “While organisations always need to keep up with the latest security patches, it is also vital to ensure older systems and well-known vulnerabilities from years past are monitored and patched as well,” states Maor. “Threat actors are attempting to take advantage of overlooked, vulnerable systems.”  According to MSSP Alert, meanwhile, companies with outdated technology lose 47% more money from a data breach.

Compliance issues provide further challenges.  Remaining on outdated systems complicates the matter of adhering to GDPR, CCPA, and HIPAA, since current regulations are not primarily designed with legacy systems in mind.  How can organizations protect the data on their legacy systems without breaking the bank, while also becoming compliant with modern laws? 

NetLib Security’s Legacy Encryption Solution Will Get You There!

To meet the standard encryption requirements necessary for compliance, NetLib Security’s powerful flagship solution, Encryptionizer, addresses the growing issue of legacy application encryption, which impacts all business sectors today.  It eases adherence to new regulations and company policies mandating that all data must be encrypted, a particular problem for legacy systems. 

Encryptionizer provides the key components across physical, virtual and cloud environments for data protection.  Through transparent encryption of stored data, any unauthorized intruders who try to access the data will find it useless to them. No additional programming and minimal configuration are required for deployment, with virtually no impact on system performance. 

Whether you’re looking for a solution for desktop or server, or Windows database management system (Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL, Oracle, DB2, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, etc.), Encryptionizer can be a strong ally on virtually any legacy application on the Windows platform.

Request a free evaluation of Encryptionizer here to assess how it will benefit your organization.

Why NetLib Security?

NetLib Security has spent the past 20+ years developing a powerful, patented solution that starts by setting up a formidable offense which can be managed from anywhere in the world, across every environment where your data resides: physical, virtual and cloud. Our platform is geared to simplify the process for you while ensuring unprecedented levels of security are in place.

You can simplify your data security needs by utilizing Encryptionizer to satisfy your security requirements quickly, and with confidence. These days it’s essential to protect the safety, integrity and confidentiality of sensitive data. NetLib Security’s unique encryption solutions are an easy and cost effective way to proactively and transparently protect your data.

We also understand budget considerations are a constant concern, which is why we designed an affordable data security platform to protect, manage and defend while enabling the growing areas of compliance. Protecting your data doesn’t have to break the bank, but not protecting it will.

NetLib Security works closely with government agencies, healthcare organizations, small to large enterprises spanning financial services, credit card processors, distributors, and resellers to deliver a flexible data security solution to meet their ever changing needs. For more information or to request a free evaluation visit us at www.netlibsecurity.com.