A large-scale Data breach that occurred earlier this year, originated from a system that had been decommissioned two years ago.  

The data was stolen from DemandScience, a B2B demand generation firm specialising in data aggregation. As a result of the breach, the business contact information for 122 million individuals were made available on the dark web in the second half of 2024. 

What is Data Aggregation? 

Data aggregation involves gathering, compiling, and organising data from public sources into a unified dataset. This process provides digital marketers and advertisers with detailed “profiles”, which are instrumental in generating leads and tailoring marketing strategies. 

DemandScience concluded that it was one of their legacy systems that had been exploited and that current operational systems were not impacted by the breach.   

Such a major security breach underlines the importance of monitoring and securing your legacy systems.  

How Legacy IT Systems hinder your business operations 

Legacy IT systems, once cutting-edge, are now largely obsolete and hinder business profitability and reliability in several ways. They suffer from compatibility issues as newer technologies surpass their capabilities, resulting in outdated data accuracy and connectivity. Their lack of scalability, especially when they reach end-of-life, prevents businesses from updating or growing effectively.  

Security risks are the major concern however, posing significant threats as they often fall outside the scope of regular IT audits. These systems are also prone to frequent crashes and extended downtime, which disrupt operations and lead to data loss and profit decline. Employee productivity diminishes due to the frustration of working with slow, outdated systems, impacting morale and efficiency. Lastly, the high costs associated with maintaining these systems drain resources, as repairs are expensive and time-consuming, leaving staff idle and dissatisfied. 

So, as you can see, if you still have legacy systems that are connected to your network and hold sensitive data, you cannot just ignore them and assume that they are safe. They provide the most vulnerable access point through which cybercriminals can enter your network and gain access to all the data you hold.  

Strategies for Addressing the Risks of Legacy Systems 

 The most effective way to address the risks posed by legacy systems is to discard them. However, this is not always feasible, as these systems often play a crucial role in supporting essential business operations, complying with regulations, or managing historical data. 

When retiring your legacy systems is not an option, your organisation can reduce their associated security risks while maintaining their functionality for business needs. Implementing critical best practices is key to achieving this balance. Follow these steps to ensure maximum security of your legacy IT systems: 

• Maintain an up-to-date inventory of hardware, software, and processes with tools like a configuration management database (CMDB) to ensure all systems are accounted for and security measures are thorough.  

• Regularly perform security assessments, including vulnerability scans and penetration tests, to identify and resolve weaknesses before they can be exploited. 

• Use network segmentation to isolate legacy systems, limiting the potential impact of a breach and protecting the broader network.  

• Strengthen access controls by deploying identity and access management (IAM) solutions and multifactor authentication (MFA).  

• Routinely review access permissions to restrict sensitive system interactions to authorised personnel only. 

• Monitor the IT environment for unusual activity, such as unauthorised access to legacy systems, using IT auditing tools with real-time alerts and incident response features.  

So, there you have it, if you still must use legacy systems, these tips will help to mitigate and significantly reduce security risks and factors.