Equifax and ‘if it works, don’t touch it’

The Equifax data breach serves as a cautionary tale about the critical importance of timely software updates, as the incident was caused by the company's failure to patch a known vulnerability in the Apache Struts software, which had been disclosed two months prior. The breach highlights a common issue where many companies do not promptly update vulnerable software components, despite clear instructions from security experts, leading to significant security risks. While some argue that running cutting-edge software releases can introduce bugs and downtime, the author asserts that the risk of a security breach from outdated software is far greater. The solution lies in adopting agile processes for regular software updates, leveraging Continuous Integration/Deployment environments to test and deploy updates efficiently, and ensuring that all infrastructure runs on secure and stable software versions. The piece concludes by emphasizing the importance of maintaining up-to-date systems to protect sensitive data and company reputation.