Technology is more of a necessity than a choice in business these days. Things like software tools make work easier, plus it can save costs for your business. However, one common mistake businesses make is using software tools for too long, or rather, using outdated tools. One study done by firm BitSight found a correlation between data breaches and obsolete software. This highlights the risks of using out of date software. Here are other reasons why you should shun outdated software in your business.
Outdated software is prone to cyber attacks
For
starters, outdated software is one common avenue where cybercriminals can
exploit your business. Again, studies have found that outdated software tends
to have vulnerabilities that make it easier for criminals to attack and cripple your business operations. If you are using out of
date tools, it is likely that you are more vulnerable to ransomware attacks,
malware, and data breaches, etc. Remember, attacks can lead to loss of customer
trust, money and even business.
Outdated OS might be incompatible with other software
For any
software to function as intended in a fast-paced ecosystem, it has to be
maintained regularly. Most enterprise-level software developers keep updating
the software to ensure that it is running as intended and even better. Now,
running outdated operating systems might lead to glitches in other essential
software. You might upgrade other tools only to run into compatibility issues
that might hurt key operations in the business.
It is one
reason why you should update your OS to keep your other key tools ‘happy’. If
you are running Mac for your business, then you can upgrade to the latest macOS
Big Sur as soon as it is stable. Well, you can do it quickly by following this guide to clean,
install or upgrade your OS. The same applies to other OS, be it Ubuntu or
Windows on-site or on the cloud. You should upgrade them for compatibility to
move in tandem with developers who also seek to add new features to your
enterprise tools.
You will lose support; it will cost you more!
It is
common that the vendor will withdraw support on previous versions of outdated
software after a while. In this regard, you will lose the support to help you
if you run into problems. Of course, the outdated software will
become less useful, plus it might even be costing you more than you think! Think of it this way; you might be having
your team working to fix issues that would have otherwise been easy to handle
if you had the support from the vendor. That’s surely hurting your
productivity, right?
