The Real Risk to IT Security Is Closer Than You Think

Written by Christophe d’Arcy

Across industries, businesses are navigating the dual pressures of accelerating digital transformation and a rising tide of increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. Data security has become a major concern for businesses of all sizes. Gartner predicted in 2024 that global end-user spending on IT security would reach 212 billion USD in 2025, an increase of 15.1% from the previous year. The same forecast estimates that by 2027, 17% of total cyberattacks will involve Gen AI, demonstrating the evolving cyber threat landscape. However, small to medium businesses are especially vulnerable to cyber-attacks, mostly due to their typically smaller IT security budgets compared to larger enterprises.

A common misconception is that legacy IT hardware is inherently more vulnerable to data breaches than newer models. In reality, the greatest risk lies not in the age of your infrastructure but in how it is managed. Discover the biggest threats to your business’ IT and, most importantly, how to protect against them.

What is a cyber-attack

A cyber-attack or security breach is an attempt to gain unauthorized access to a network or device. The motives behind such attacks are typically to disrupt or damage systems and steal confidential information—often for financial gain, blackmail, or further fraudulent activity. Some key examples of cyber-attacks are:

• Ransomware: Software which holds a business’s data or systems ransom, restricting access until the company pays the attackers.
• Malware: Malicious software such as viruses, worms, keyloggers, backdoors, and spyware.
• Phishing: Attackers impersonate legitimate entities to trick receivers into revealing sensitive information. According to Cyber. Magazine’s 2024 article , over 75% of targeted cyberattacks start with a phishing email.
• Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS): Flooding a system or network with traffic to overwhelm its resources and make it unavailable to legitimate users.

What is the biggest security risk for businesses

After examining the nature of cyber-attacks, it becomes clear that the biggest threat to your business’s data and IT systems often originates internally—not from hardware, but from people. The Verizon DBIR 2023 shows that 74% of security breaches included the “human element, such as social engineering, errors, or misuse of privileges”. Most recently, the Verizon DBIR 2025 report reveals that “the involvement of the human element in breaches [hovered] around 60%”.

While this percentage is falling, over half of all breaches still result from human actions. These can be as simple as clicking on a bad link or misconfiguring software.

The real security risk isn’t old hardware—it’s poorly managed hardware.

Do older IT systems offer the same level of security as newer hardware

Many people question the security of legacy hardware and whether it receives adequate updates. When properly managed, legacy data center equipment can be just as secure as brand-new models. The key lies in regular expert maintenance, ongoing optimizations, and strategic deployment of older devices. In fact, as equipment ages and stabilizes, it often requires fewer firmware or patch updates.

For SMBs with limited budgets, legacy or certified refurbished IT equipment offers a cost-effective solution, especially for less critical services or systems that don’t handle sensitive data.
Additionally, IT teams can strengthen older hardware security by implementing measures like firewalls, secure network configurations, and updated software protections.

An experienced third-party maintenance partner is key to secure legacy hardware.

Which best practices help prevent security vulnerabilities in IT environments

Human error presenting such a large risk to your business’s IT operations does have a silver lining. By following industry best practices and educating your staff, your business can dramatically minimize the probability of breaches.

Best practices to reinforce your small and medium business’s cyber security include:

• Implementing strong password policies.
• Backing up data to avoid loss through ransomware, corruption or physical damage.
• Multi-factor authentication.
• Installing anti-virus software, firewalls, and any necessary security patches.
• Regularly updating all software and systems.
• Keeping resources such as smartphones, USBs, laptops and tablets safe. Avoid connecting to unknown Wi-Fi networks and always password-protect devices.
• Educating employees through cybersecurity awareness campaigns and workshops, especially about tactics like phishing.

What are the key considerations for secure IT lifecycle management

To ensure full functionality and robust security, business IT systems must not only be well-maintained but also continuously updated to tackle the latest digital threats. This requires a proactive approach. The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Platform Firmware Resiliency Guidelines, SP 800-193, advises against relying solely on updates. Instead, the guide advocates architectural and access controls as essential components of firmware threat mitigation.

Below, you will find top recommendations to keep your IT hardware secure, no matter its age:

Recommendation	Reason
Segmentation and access controls	Dividing networks into isolated segments and establishing who can access certain resources are primary barriers against threats. This is especially true for legacy or post-EOSL systems.
Adapted use of infrastructure	This includes measures such as data encryption, monitoring, and secure networks. Poorly adapted infrastructure use causes far more exposure than the hardware age.
ISO 27001-aligned monitoring and pseudonymized diagnostics	These measures ensure data confidentiality, replacing personally identifiable information in diagnostic data with pseudonyms while permitting data analysis.
Engineer training and confidentiality	IT teams trained in OEM-level best practices maintain your infrastructure to the highest standards in their interventions. Meanwhile, NDAs ensure confidentiality.
Certified ITAD processes	Official certifications demonstrate compliance with the WEEE directive, ISO 14001 and 9001 guarantee secure, auditable data disposal. This reduces the risk of exploitable data falling into the wrong hands.

How can third-party maintenance help reduce IT security risks

The benefits of third-party maintenance are well known. For businesses, outsourcing data center support to expert providers represents a cost-effective, environmentally sustainable alternative to the original equipment manufacturer warranty renewals or internal IT teams. However, let’s look more closely at the benefits of TPM for your business infrastructure’s security.

Reputable Third-Party Maintenance service providers:

• Keep businesses’ data center assets functional and robust, minimizing system downtime and failures.
• Support stable infrastructure systems, reducing the need for firmware or patch updates.
• Extend the useful lifecycle of IT hardware, maintaining a steady, durable environment for your data.

Even as cyber threats continue to escalate, businesses can keep their legacy IT devices secure through strategic maintenance and staff training.

 

About the Author

Christophe d’Arcy is Evernex’s Head of Cyber Security. He brings 20 years of experience to the role, leading global initiatives in threat prevention, risk management, and staff awareness.