ClickCease Expired Hardware or Software? - Sacramento, CA - Cybersecurity Experts in Northern California

Expired Hardware or Software?

When you buy milk, you may check the “use by” date, just to make sure that you don’t get month-old-aged milk that has curdled into cheese. Regularly, food and medications are checked for “best-by” dates, so that we don’t consume old food or medications that might make us sick, rather than well.

But did you know that your software and hardware will expire as well?

Many people think that using outdated technology is no big deal. But with the constant advancements and evolutions in technology, old or even obsolete technology has security and privacy implications for you and your business. This is because old technology is often less secure than newer, updated versions, which have modern security features and patches.

Old devices, then, are less impervious to cyberattacks. Not only that, outdated technology and devices are likely not to be compliant with current privacy regulations, which puts your data at risk as well.

That means that staying up to date with the latest hardware and software is crucial for you and your organization. To protect your business from the downfall of outdated tech, you need a plan for when your systems reach their expiration date.

End-of-Support for Office 2013

Come this month of this year, April 2023, Office 2013 will no longer be supported by Microsoft. This lack of support means that you won’t receive any technical assistance, bug fixes, or security updates from Microsoft to cover any vulnerabilities.

Even if all your Office 2013 apps continue to function after the expiration date, you risk being exposed to security vulnerabilities, like malware, phishing, ransomware, data theft, and the like.

To keep your business secure, migrate to Microsoft 365, which is a cloud-based service that can increase productivity and collaboration without the risk of using unsupported software. A subscription to Microsoft 365 provides automatic vulnerability patches that hackers might exploit. More importantly, your workflow is unaffected by these updates, as they take place in the background, protecting your systems from sophisticated threats.

A Stitch in Time Save Nine

If you follow the news, you’re probably aware of the upsurge in data breaches and cyberattacks. These attacks have targeted businesses of all sizes and industries, though the FBI is particularly concerned about a surge of cybercrime against small businesses.

The problem, however, is that many organizations and small businesses do not take the necessary precautions to defend themselves. They think they’re too small or “unimportant” to get hit. One of the biggest mistakes a business can make is presuming that its cybersecurity measures are sufficient.

Investing in supported technologies, like an MSSP IT Support Company, is one of the most advantageous ways to protect your business. Total Secure Technology is an MSSP that has routine internal security measures in place and a team of experts to support you with updates and patches in order to make you more secure and helpful.

And in the event of a data breach or cyberattack, we are there to support you, to help you recover and bounce back from the incident.

Need Support?

We are here to help! Contact us today for a free assessment on what you need and how we can help you with it!

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