Cisco Issues a Critical Warning on the Dangers of Outdated Technology Amidst the Growth of AI

Outdated digital infrastructure—such as routers, network switches, and network-attached storage—has silently jeopardized organizations for some time. While it may seem more cost-effective and simpler to leave this equipment running in an unused corner, these systems often possess outdated and insecure configurations. Additionally, legacy technology typically lacks vendor support for software updates and other security measures. With generative AI tools making it easier for cybercriminals to discover and exploit system vulnerabilities, Cisco is initiating a campaign to raise awareness and encourage upgrades—targeting both old Cisco devices and legacy products from other manufacturers still in use.

Named “Resilient Infrastructure,” this initiative encompasses research, industry outreach, and technical advancements in the management of Cisco’s legacy products. The company plans to introduce new alerts for products nearing the end of their lifecycle, ensuring that customers receive clear warnings if they attempt to utilize known insecure configurations when updating devices. In the future, Cisco intends to fully eliminate outdated settings and interoperability options deemed unsafe.

“Global infrastructure is deteriorating, which presents significant risks,” states Anthony Grieco, Cisco’s chief security and trust officer. “It’s crucial to communicate that this aging infrastructure was not built for today’s threat landscapes. By not upgrading, we are inadvertently creating opportunities for threats to flourish.”

Research conducted for Cisco by the British consultancy WPI Strategy examined the prevalence and consequences of end-of-life technology within the “critical national infrastructure” of five nations: the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Japan. The findings revealed that the UK, closely followed by the US, faces the most significant relative risk due to the widespread presence of outdated technology in essential sectors. Japan, in contrast, exhibited the lowest relative risk, attributed to its focus on consistent upgrades, a decentralized approach to critical infrastructure, and a stronger national emphasis on digital resilience.

Overall, the research highlights that cybersecurity breaches and incidents globally frequently involve attackers taking advantage of known vulnerabilities that could have been mitigated through timely patching or by upgrading outdated technology.

“Maintaining the status quo is not without cost—it simply goes unrecognized,” asserts Eric Wenger, Cisco’s senior director for technology policy. “We aim to elevate this risk to a level that is acknowledged at the board level, emphasizing the importance of investing in these upgrades.” He further notes, “As an industry, we’re not making it sufficiently challenging for the attackers.”