Every industrial company knows and fears them: legacy systems. Old machines with often even older operating systems run like a red thread through Germany’s production halls. New regulations such as the EU Data Act make the legally compliant operation of such systems a challenge that also poses a major cyber security risk. In this Expert Talk, you will learn how to secure legacy systems and use them profitably.
With our interview partner Markus Haist from we discuss the topic “Secure handling of legacy systems” and answer the following questions:
Our two interview partners have extensive knowledge of the OT sector:
Markus Haist, Business Development Manager at our partner company for over 2 years, can look back on an extensive professional career. Before joining secunet, he gained in-depth knowledge in various other positions and deepened his expertise in all OT areas.
Peter Lukesch, COO of ondeso, worked for a long time as an IT security officer in a NATO task force and as an officer in the German Air Force and was also responsible for IT security in office and production environments as an IT director.
Here you can find the recording:
(German only)
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Legacy systems are old, already installed devices in production companies. This includes both machines with a long service life and newer machines that use long-outdated operating systems due to their development time. These systems in particular are literally open barn doors for cyber attacks, as they are hardly maintained, if at all, due to a lack of know-how and time.
It is therefore all the more important to pay attention to these “oldies” in operation. The biggest security gaps are primarily the lack of updates that are no longer available for the outdated operating systems. However, there are ways to protect legacy systems, for example by securing the connection channels – keywords “tunnelling & hardening”. The scarce time for maintenance can in turn be circumvented by testing available patches in advance and installing them in the next free maintenance window.
Another pressure point are innovations in legislation. For example, the EU Data Act requires data to be made available to every machine. This is theoretically possible both online and offline, but presents the responsible employee with the challenge of continuing to ensure security without investing too much time in transferring the data.
Learn how to ensure secure handling of your legacy systems in the video.
Our tip: Visit us at the SPS trade fair in Nuremberg!
From 14 to 16 November 2023, the gates will open to the SPS trade fair in Nuremberg. SPS is the top event in the automation industry with a unique concept. Here you can find clever solutions for smart and digital automation, from simple sensors to advanced ideas for a completely digital industry. This trade fair is not only a highlight, but also a source of new ideas and innovations.
Get to know us! We will be happy to present ondeso and our products to you in more detail. Visit us in hall 6.0 at stand 241 A. Write to us and secure a free ticket!
If you want to learn more about the secure handling of legacy systems, don’t hesitate to contact us!
About IT security from secunet in the production environment
Trust in the customised protection of all your network segments, with the help of the industrial platform from ondeso and secunet, which is completely “Made in Germany”.
Here you can learn more about our company and our expertise as a pioneer and market leader.
Would you like to learn more? Do not hesitate to contact us, we will be happy to help you.