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The pyramids of Egypt and the Great Wall of China were built to last forever. Great Wall were built to last forever. Computer hardware and software? Not so. With fairly short lifecycles, most IT departments regularly replace workstations, servers, and phones when they grow slowly, stop receiving operating system updates, and/or go out of warranty.
In other cases, end users may be forced to walk away due to liabilities caused by end-of-life (EOL) products.Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 are good examples. When Microsoft stopped releasing updates and patches, these operating systems actually became more vulnerable to security threats. In addition, software vendors no longer guarantee that new applications are compatible with older operating systems. Nonetheless, even after EOL, some individuals and companies found it difficult to let go of their EOL software, which they continued to use at their own risk (splitting is difficult).
According to a 2015 Spiceworks report sponsored by SanDisk, about 25% of organizations planned to migrate from Windows Server 2003 only after EOL. What exactly are these holdouts risking?
One, why ignoring the EOL timeline is a bad idea
Maybe you're trying to save some money by using an outdated platform like Windows Server 2003. Or maybe you're running outdated legacy applications to cut costs. Not to be an alarmist:but there are some real risks.
End-of-life dangers:
Security vulnerabilities: Microsoft no longer releases security patches meaning that Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP are now a minefield of security dangers. For this reason alone, you should update as soon as possible. Firewalls and anti-virus software are not effective at protecting against unpatchable vulnerabilities, and hackers are quick to exploit them.
Software incompatibility: Newer applications are optimized for the latest operating systems. This means that when using an EOL operating system, you can't upgrade to the latest and greatest, so you have to keep legacy apps (which are likely to also be EOL or soon to be EOL).
Compliance issues: Regulated industries (such as healthcare and e-commerce) handle large amounts of sensitive customer data. Entrusting your critical information to a decade-old operating system or an insecure application? Stop. In addition to a security breach, it can lead to hefty fines, company closure, and even jail time.
High operating costs: Maintenance and bug fixes for any post-EOL software can be costly. Paying Microsoft to patch an EOL operating system can far exceed the price of simply replacing Windows Server 2003. What about the high cost of mission-critical application failure? These are all things to consider.
Poor performance and reliability: If you're still running older applications or older versions of Windows, then you also have some older servers and workstations in your office ...... This increases your risk because the equipment is likely out of warranty and prone to failure. Consider that the downtime itself may be more costly than an overdue upgrade.
Simply put, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to running EOL software. The potential risks usually outweigh the rewards, even if you're on a tight budget. Security, compatibility and compliance are all big issues with EOL software. So what's the solution?
Second, use network inventory to identify EOL risks
Risky EOL software and out-of-warranty hardware can be hiding in dark corners of server rooms or in underutilized VMs that you never really touch.
Discovering these systems at risk can be a challenge, especially if you have hundreds of devices on your network. Need to know what hardware, operating systems, and software you have? A network inventory app that can help:
(1) Automatically store your pc, mac, Windows and Linux servers, switches, etc..
(2) Continuously scan your network at your convenience (e.g., during periods of low usage)
(3) Get detailed information about access to a single device or your entire network
(4) Keep track of the system's warranty or age so that you don't get a surprise
(5) Provide a variety of reports to help you identify Hardware and software at risk
In short, end-of-life hardware and software pose a huge risk to IT departments around the world. However, EOL doesn't have to mean disaster. With a good understanding of the risks involved, advanced planning, and help from tools like Network Inventory Software, you can identify and migrate end-of-life hardware and software.