Check Your Networking System to Minimize Risks and Avoid Hacks

If your team is behind schedule on updating the company’s networking system, consider it among the norm. According to a recent study, about 60 percent of the organizations are still operating with end-of-support networking devices – products that no longer are being produced and lack manufacturer support.

Assessing these types of equipment details may be one of those things you’re planning to get around to. According to the research conducted by Softchoice, an IT solutions provider, you may want to elevate that plan to a priority. Equipment with outdated devices are putting companies at risk for a higher rate of security breaches, network outages and costly inefficiencies.

David Brisbois, a Softchoice consultant and manager, said many companies fail to take an assessment of their networking devices to detect such gaps. “Most organizations struggle to get a basic understanding of the state of their network because few regularly check up on the different devices they have in play,” Brisbois said. “It isn’t until a breach occurs or their network crashes that most organizations react and realize their network is past its ‘best before’ date.’”

To avoid the risks that come with aging equipment and devices, companies should develop a plan that includes:

1. Investing time in analyzing your infrastructure. This can be a daunting time-consuming proposition, however, it could set a solid foundation that provides key insights into the status of your devices. You could avert significant risks by replacing outdated equipment that will be difficult to quickly address if it fails you. Regularly check and update the status of your devices on an ongoing basis.

2. Consulting the manufacturer. Determine your risks with aging devices by talking to the manufacturer about the life expectancy of each, as well as the length of time it will provide support for the devices. Then schedule a plan that will allow for you to budget time and resources for replacing those devices.

3. Evaluating your short-term and long-term options. There are other considerations when reviewing your networking devices and other equipment. Do you have the right employees onsite to conduct the analysis? If so, will they have time to take on the project? When does hiring an external expert make sense? How aggressive do you want to be in replacing equipment? Getting buy-in also is a consideration, when the perception may be if “it’s not broke, don’t fix it.”

Regularly assessing your IT operations should always be a priority, especially as organizations are increasingly faced with the need to maintain optimal uptime rates while minimizing risks.

Lifeline Data Centers, a colocation facility headquartered in the Midwest, has been providing those type of results for companies in numerous industries since 2001. Contact us to take a tour of our facility or to ask for further information.

Other resources:

• Infographic: The 22 Data Center Compliance Acronyms You Need to Know
• White Paper: Why Data Center Compartmentalization is Important
• Lifeline One Sheet: What You Need to Know About Lifeline Data Centers

Rich Banta

Managing Member at Lifeline Data Centers

Rich is responsible for Compliance and Certifications, Data Center Operations, Information Technology, and Client Concierge Services. Rich has an extensive background in server and network management, large scale wide-area networks, storage, business continuity, and monitoring. Rich is a former CTO of a major health care system. Rich is hands-on every day in the data centers. He also holds many certifications, including: CISA – Certified Information Systems Auditor CRISC – Certified in Risk & Information Systems Management CDCE – Certified Data Center Expert CDCDP – Certified Data Center Design Professional