Securing Your Legacy: Safeguarding Identities, Protecting Data, and Streamlining Processes

Legacy Systems: A Double Whammy for IT Pros

Legacy systems, referring to outdated computer hardware and software that remain in use due to lingering necessity, have long been the bane of IT professionals. The constant struggle to keep these systems running and integrate them with newer technologies is a drain on productivity and resources. However, the problems with legacy systems extend beyond mere inefficiency and have serious implications for cybersecurity. In fact, there are three key areas where legacy systems pose significant security risks: legacy identities, legacy data, and legacy processes.

Legacy Identities: An Inviting Target for Attackers

Legacy identities refer to accounts that exist in an organization’s identity store, such as Active Directory or Azure AD, despite being no longer needed. These accounts often include user accounts for contractors or third-party suppliers who are no longer associated with the organization. Legacy identities present a significant risk because they are an attractive target for attackers seeking unauthorized access to sensitive systems and data.

Attackers prefer to compromise legacy accounts as using them is less likely to raise alerts compared to creating new accounts. Former employees whose accounts were not promptly removed can exploit the access to benefit their new employer or cause harm out of ill will or malice. Highly privileged user accounts, including those of IT professionals and executives, are particularly targeted as they provide access to valuable data and critical IT systems. Therefore, the more privileged accounts an organization has, the larger its attack surface area becomes.

To mitigate the risks associated with legacy identities, regular reviews of the identity store should be conducted to identify and remove inactive accounts that are no longer needed. These reviews should extend beyond individual user accounts to include legacy service accounts and computer accounts. It is crucial to incorporate this effort into a comprehensive identity and access management (IAM) strategy. Enabling data owners to regularly review and update access rights to their content is an important component of effective IAM, ensuring the enforcement of the least-privilege principle as organizational roles change, projects evolve, and business needs shift. Additional measures such as multifactor authentication (MFA) and privileged access management (PAM), particularly a zero-standing privilege (ZSP) approach, can further reduce the risk associated with legacy identities.

Legacy Data: A Hidden Cybersecurity Risk

Legacy data refers to outdated or obsolete data stored by an organization. However, determining whether a particular dataset should be considered legacy can be challenging, especially in highly regulated sectors like healthcare and finance. Despite their lack of usefulness, regulations may require organizations to retain certain data sets for a specific period.

Legacy data can increase cybersecurity risks in several ways. For example, relying on outdated threat intelligence feeds leaves an organization vulnerable to more recent threats. Similarly, using old address data increases the likelihood of sending confidential information to the wrong recipient. Moreover, legacy data may lack essential security measures such as encryption or robust access controls, making it more susceptible to data breaches and theft. Even if the legacy data is protected, dedicating resources to its security may divert attention and resources away from more critical and sensitive data.

To effectively mitigate the risks associated with legacy data, organizations need a comprehensive understanding of the data they store, including its type, when and why it was collected, how frequently it is accessed, and when it was last updated. This information helps determine the accuracy and value of the data to the organization. Regular reviews of stored data should be conducted to identify areas that require improvement. It is essential to prioritize the updating of high-value datasets, as the relevance of specific data to an organization’s needs constantly evolves. By maintaining a proactive approach to monitoring and managing legacy data, organizations can minimize cybersecurity risks and align their data management practices with evolving business requirements.

Legacy Processes: A Crumbling Foundation

Legacy processes are processes and procedures that have not been kept up to date through regular reviews and adaptation. They often arise from resource limitations, time constraints, negligence, or lack of expertise. These processes pose security risks as they may fail to address emerging threats and other issues that have emerged since their inception. For instance, running a vulnerability scan once a quarter might have been sufficient years ago, but it is woefully inadequate in today’s rapidly evolving threat landscape. Additionally, legacy processes can delay an organization’s ability to respond effectively to cybersecurity incidents. Even a well-crafted incident response plan loses value if it is not regularly rehearsed and revised to account for changes in the IT environment, business priorities, organizational structure, and other relevant factors.

To mitigate the security risks associated with legacy processes, organizations should regularly conduct comprehensive reviews to identify and address legacy processes in a timely manner. This process of modernization or replacement should involve all stakeholders and ensure ongoing maintenance. Not only does this effort reduce security risks, but it can also bring about significant cost savings. Legacy processes are often time-consuming and labor-intensive, and updating or replacing them can streamline operations and improve overall productivity.

The Way Forward: Prioritizing Security and Modernization

Legacy systems, including legacy identities, data, and processes, present real and potent cybersecurity risks. Organizations must prioritize efforts to identify and minimize these risks by regularly reviewing their IT ecosystem and taking appropriate actions. Whenever possible, legacy systems should be updated, removed, or replaced with more modern and secure alternatives. However, in cases where retaining legacy systems is necessary, steps should be taken to minimize the risks associated with their use.

It is crucial to recognize that addressing the challenges posed by legacy systems requires a combination of technical solutions and organizational commitment. Employing proactive measures such as regular identity reviews, data assessments, and process modernization can significantly enhance an organization’s cybersecurity posture. By staying vigilant and adaptable, organizations can evolve with the rapidly changing threat landscape and protect their valuable assets from potential cyber threats.