Extending Your Legacy Systems’ Lifespan Without Compromising Security

Many organizations still rely on legacy hardware and software to run critical systems. These systems often fall into two categories: End of Life (EoL), which is when a manufacturer no longer sells the product but may still offer limited updates, and End of Service (EoS), which means that all support for a product – including patches and updates – has ended. 

Keeping legacy systems in place can make financial sense, especially when replacements are expensive or complex. In fact, more than 40% of tech assets in global enterprises are at or near EoL.¹ But while the business case for keeping EoL systems running is understandable, the cybersecurity tradeoffs can no longer be ignored.

If your organization is running legacy systems, it’s time to take a look at how to extend their lifespan without putting your data or your reputation at risk. Read on to learn where the biggest risks lie, why privileged access controls matter, and how Safous can help you secure your legacy systems without disruption.

Why Are EoL Systems a Cyber Target?

Cyber criminals actively look for environments running outdated hardware and software because they’re easier to compromise. Some of the biggest risks include:

• Incompatibilities with modern security tools
• Vulnerability to ransomware and credential theft
• Failure to meet security standards for protected data
• Hardware failure due to part shortages

Outdated systems often fail to meet even basic security and compliance standards. And when something goes wrong, recovery is costly. According to IBM’s 2023 Data Breach Report, the average cost of a breach is now $4.45 million² – a risk no aging system should be allowed to carry unchecked.

Cybersecurity Risks of Legacy Systems

Legacy systems, particularly those that have reached EOS, are more vulnerable to cyber attacks due to the lack of updates and patches. Attackers can exploit known vulnerabilities in outdated software and hardware, enabling them to access your organization's sensitive data and critical systems.

One notable example is the 2021 incident involving a Fortinet VPN vulnerability.³ Cyber criminals exploited a known vulnerability in an outdated Fortinet VPN device, gaining access to login credentials and using tools like Mimikatz to escalate privileges. This resulted in significant financial and operational disruptions for the affected organization.

How Privileged Remote Access Can Help

Upgrading old systems isn’t always possible, but ignoring the security of these privileged accounts isn’t an option either. That’s where tools like Privileged Remote Access come in.

Privileged Remote Access helps protect high-risk systems by controlling who can access them, under what conditions, and for how long. These solutions:

• Enforce least-privilege access to sensitive systems
• Eliminate the need for permanent admin accounts
• Monitor and log privileged activity in real time
• Prevent attackers from moving laterally after gaining access

Essentially, Privileged Remote Access becomes a critical layer of protection that keeps your outdated infrastructure from becoming an easy target.

Secure Your Legacy Systems With Safous

Extending the lifespan of legacy systems is a viable strategy for organizations looking to maximize the return on their IT investments. However, the cybersecurity issues associated with using outdated hardware and software must be addressed , or you risk exposing your business to financial and reputational damage.

Safous Privileged Remote Access is purpose-built to reduce that risk. It uses a gateway-based, agentless architecture that overlays seamlessly onto your existing environment, adding a layer of cutting-edge security to aging infrastructure where software agents can’t be installed.

Safous enforces Zero Trust policies like least privilege, multi-factor authentication, and session-level monitoring across legacy environments – without requiring system modification. That means you can extend the life of your EoL/EoS systems while protecting them with the same security standards used across modern environments.

Don’t wait until a criminal exploits your aging systems. Watch our on-demand webinar to learn more about how Safous can secure your legacy systems with modern defense.

Sources:

1. https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesbusinesscouncil/2025/01/08/staring-down-the-end-of-life-paradox
2. https://newsroom.ibm.com/2023-07-24-IBM-Report-Half-of-Breached-Organizations-Unwilling-to-Increase-Security-Spend-Despite-Soaring-Breach-Costs
3. https://ics-cert.kaspersky.com/media/Kaspersky-ICS-CERT-Vulnerability-in-Fortigate-VPN-servers-is-exploited-in-Cring-ransomware-attacks-En.pdf