Recent data from Cyble indicates a significant increase in software supply chain attacks in the last 2 months, reflecting an aggressive position by cybercriminals to exploit vulnerabilities in information technology (IT) systems.

Unfortunately, the costs of cyberattacks are enormous including direct financial losses, reputational damage, legal & regulatory costs, and supply chain failures. Hence, it is imperative for businesses to develop future-proof supply chains.

One of the main challenges to achieving this is to modernize IT asset management by replacing or integrating older systems. However, there are several challenges to this strategy that must be dealt with tactically so that supply chains can weather cyberattacks, generate data quality, and protect the integrity of their system.

Data Migration and Analysis

IT asset management is a critical component of a business because it enables the system to track and manage all its IT assets including hardware like laptops and monitors. Management helps ensure that all IT assets are properly accounted for and maintained. For example, laptop deployment enables productivity and mobility as well as enhances collaboration among teams. On the other hand, it also requires management so that deployment is effective and the machines are optimized. In addition to inventory management, unnecessary spending is reduced because the devices are maintained properly and in accordance with regulations.

Another point to make is that with an effective IT asset management (ITAM), it is easy to see which devices need replacement or integration with older systems as part of the modernization process. In this regard, data migration and quality are strong concerns that must be addressed considering that legacy ITAM systems often contain vast amounts of data in various formats whether they are spreadsheets or manual records. Over time, data can also become obsolete or outdated. There may be duplicates or incorrect info due to manual entry errors and even inconsistent updates. As such, cleaning up and updating data are crucial although they are time-consuming operations. Furthermore, legacy data fields may not directly correspond to new system fields. Therefore, it requires complex mapping and transformation rules to avoid data loss or interpretation.

Integration Issues

Older systems often operate in isolation and therefore, lack seamless integration with other critical operations such as service management, goods procurement and finance, and security, to name some. Another issue is legacy systems often rely on tailored interfaces or outdated application programming interfaces (APIs) that are not easy to integrate with modern standardized platforms. This results in the need to develop custom middleware increasing complexity and cost. Achieving real-time or close to real-time data synchronization between the new system and the other integrated platforms is important but very challenging technically. Thus, it’s vital to understand the intricate web of dependencies between ITAM data and other systems to avoid disruptions in workflows or reporting.

Moreover, legacy systems may be built on outdated programming languages or operating systems that are no longer supported by vendors or have a dwindling pool of skilled professionals. The lack of documentation in older systems is another issue that makes it difficult to understand their data models and integration. Given this, the true cost of modernization may exceed the initial estimates due to unforeseen complexities in data migration, integration, customization, and training. Running old and new systems in parallel during the transition period can incur significant operational costs. With respect to change, employees are often used to working with existing workflows and may resist adopting new systems especially if they view them as more complex or less efficient in the short term. Hence, employee training is required to ensure that users understand the new systems’ functionalities, processes, and benefits.

To sum it up, modernization of IT infrastructure is not merely a technical upgrade, it’s a complex organizational process. It requires meticulous planning, solid implementation, and effective management to succeed.