What do you think of when you hear the word “Legacy”?
The Good – “Legacy” is what others will picture when they hear your name after you’re gone. You might want your legacy to be that you were a family man and cared for your community. Or maybe you were a devoted wife and mother. Or even a legacy of civil rights activism.
The Bad – Sometimes “legacies” refer to the children of alumni who are three or four times more likely to be accepted into an ivy league school than other students who have as good (or better) admission test scores just because their parents went to that school.
The Ugly – “Legacy” can also refer to outdated computer systems. As you probably guessed, that’s the one I want to talk about in a cyber security newsletter.
Having computer equipment for a long time means that you (or your predecessors) knew early on that it was valuable to integrate technology into your operations. It’s great to be forward-thinking. To know that you need to change with the times to not only survive but succeed.
However, frequently we see organizations that simply add on to the systems they have or assume that what they bought 20 years ago is still good enough today.
Antiques are only valuable in cars and furniture. Not in computer networks.
A legacy system is still used but is outdated. Usually, it is one that the manufacturer no longer supports because they have new versions that are better and more secure. An older version then will not have security updates to plug the latent vulnerabilities known to cyber threat actors.
Another problem with legacy systems is that the owners simply add on.
One of my favorite country singers had a song that perfectly demonstrates what can happen. In the song “One Piece at a Time” by Johnny Cash, he works at a car assembly plant and takes pieces out “one piece at a time” over several years, then puts them together to build his own Cadillac. The problem, well, in the words of Johnny Cash…
“The transmission was a ’53, and the motor turned out to be a ‘73
And when we tried to put in the bolts, all the holes were gone…
Now, the headlight’ was another sight
We had two on the left and one on the right
But when we pulled out the switch, all three of ‘em come on.”
Picture this as your computer system. Older technology won’t work as well as the new technology. Yes, it will work but not like new. The older parts have gaps. Both literally and figuratively. In your system, it’s where the bad guys can get in.
This is why it is important not only to have cyber security but also to have your cyber security team work with your IT team. Layered security doesn’t mean adding security to every layer. It means integrating your system into a network that is completely protected without any holes.
The Moral of the Story: Don’t be like Johnny Cash. Ensure your system is current and “all the holes match up.”
CYBER NEWS
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Rise of precision agriculture exposes food system to new threats
Bringing advanced technologies to the ancient practice of farming could help feed the world’s growing population, but it could also open the door for people looking to disrupt the global food system.
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New Hacker Forum Takes Pro-Ukraine Stance
New Hacker Forum Takes Pro-Ukraine Stance
A uniquely politically motivated site called DUMPS focuses solely on threat activity directed against Russia and Belarus
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Best Buy Spoof Uses Google Storage to Launch Phishing Attack
Best Buy Spoof Uses Google Storage to Launch Phishing Attack
A phishing email that spoofs Best Buy uses a Google Storage page.
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CYBER HUMOR
VOCABULARY WORD
Legacy Systems: A computer platform that is based on obsolete technology or equipment
TWEET OF THE WEEK
Commonwealth Sentinel
Commonwealth Sentinel
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FEMA warns emergency alert systems could be hacked to transmit fake messages unless software is updated https://t.co/VGVpXPrGnW https://t.co/oKiFXNRPkr
10:17 AM – 4 Aug 2022