Risky IT Business

The U.S. is wasting hundreds of millions of dollars each year maintaining obsolete computer legacy systems when it should be replacing them.

The watchdog Government Accountability Office (GAO) reported in 2019 that 10 outdated agency IT systems cost an astonishing $337-plus just to keep them running.

This is costly not just financially but also as cyber security risks.

The problems these systems present range from being in use for over half a decade, to being relatively new but already obsolete. Some have received hardware updates but use outdated software.

It’s alarming that legacy systems exist in defense departments. The U.S. Air Force system is 14 years old and runs on the infrequently taught COBOL programming language. Agency heads must bring in, frequently at a high cost, older IT experts experience in handling any COBOL issues that may arise. Other systems that control power plants and dams are using old, and unsupported, hardware. Essential services are, in some cases, not receiving software updates, patches for vulnerabilities or updates.  

That puts everyone at risk.  Security breaches in any of the many federal agencies relying on inadequate IT systems to protect national infrastructure systems could have disastrous consequences for the nation. At the same time, the multi-millions of dollars could be used to replace all systems and lower the future maintenance cost.

Leaders have known about this problem for years. In 2015 the GAO reported that while three quarters of government spending went to maintain legacy systems, only one quarter went to buy new ones.

With each passing year, as equipment ages even more, costs and the risks to humanity increase. The fix is far cheaper than the current gamble.