Manufacturing organizations often have legacy and out-of-support operating systems in their environments, particularly within their Operational Technology (OT) and Industrial Control Systems (ICS). These systems are critical for controlling machinery, production lines, and other industrial processes. However, several factors contribute to the persistence of legacy systems in manufacturing.
Why Legacy Systems are Still Prevalent in Manufacturing
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Long Lifecycle of Industrial Equipment
Manufacturing equipment, such as programmable logic controllers (PLCs), SCADA systems, and ICS, often have lifespans that span decades. Replacing or upgrading these systems is costly and disruptive to production, leading companies to continue using older systems long past their end-of-life support.
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Compatibility Issues
Many industrial machines and control systems are designed to work with specific versions of software or operating systems. Updating the operating system could render the equipment incompatible, leading manufacturers to avoid upgrades and continue using older systems to ensure the stability of their operations.
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Cost of Upgrading
Upgrading to modern operating systems and new equipment often involves significant costs, including purchasing new hardware, reconfiguring systems, and retraining personnel. The financial burden of such upgrades can push manufacturers to delay modernization.
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Downtime Concerns
Manufacturing companies prioritize uptime and efficiency. Transitioning from legacy systems to modern ones can require substantial downtime for installation, testing, and configuration, which impacts production schedules. To avoid this, they may opt to continue using out-of-support systems as long as they function.
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Limited Security Awareness or Resources
In some cases, manufacturing companies may lack the specialized cybersecurity resources or knowledge required to recognize the risks associated with unsupported operating systems. They may focus on keeping the production systems running with minimal attention to security vulnerabilities.
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Vendor Support for Legacy Systems
In certain instances, manufacturers rely on vendors who no longer provide updates for the software or hardware. This forces organizations to keep using these systems, even though they are no longer receiving security patches or support.
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Isolation of Legacy Systems
Some manufacturing companies justify using legacy systems by isolating them from the broader network. While this helps reduce exposure to cyber threats, it is not a foolproof approach, as many of these systems still interact with connected environments (e.g., supply chain systems or production management systems), potentially creating vulnerabilities.
Top Risks Associated with Legacy Operating Systems in Manufacturing
- Security Vulnerabilities: Unsupported systems no longer receive security patches, making them highly vulnerable to cyberattacks like ransomware or data breaches.
- Compliance Issues: Many industries, including manufacturing, have regulations that require secure systems. Using outdated software can result in compliance violations.
- System Failures: As hardware and software become outdated, the risk of system failures increases, potentially leading to production downtime and costly repairs.
Manufacturing organizations often weigh these risks against the costs and feasibility of upgrading to modern systems, but the reliance on legacy systems remains a significant challenge for cybersecurity leadership in the industry.
How Does Virsec’s CSP Protect Legacy Systems in Manufacturing?
Legacy servers and the applications running on them are a prime target for attackers.
Virsec was purpose-built to protect them. Virsec provides advanced security for legacy servers and applications, preventing attacks in milliseconds and ensuring continuous protection against malware, ransomware, zero-day, and unknown threats. Specializing in systems like Windows Server 2003, 2008, 2012, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, CentOS, Ubuntu, and SUSE, Virsec ensure that even the most vulnerable, out-of-support infrastructures remain secure.
Learn more about VSP for the manufacturing industry here.
