Industry Voice: Managing End-of-Life Devices: Strengthening Cybersecurity and Building Trust in MSPs

Cybercrime makes headlines around the world, with tales of extortion, exploitation, and multi-million-dollar losses. But the more insidious details of these attacks are often overlooked.

Take unpatched vulnerabilities, for example, which can come from outdated software and devices, and the challenges of managing hybrid digital infrastructure. It’s no surprise that end-of-life (EOL) devices are targeted consistently by adversaries. After all, the opportunity for attackers grows exponentially when the device manufacturer or software creator stops actively supporting and patching for vulnerabilities and security issues.

The combination of outdated hardware and software components with a lack of critical security updates creates vulnerabilities that pose a significant risk to an organisation’s digital security. And the exploitation of vulnerabilities like these is the root cause of 22% of attacks, according to Sophos’ 2025 Active Adversary report.

Learn Your Lesson, Take Your Medicine

Even where they’re mission-critical, EOL devices are not always a high priority for organisations – many of which place more importance on investing in newer equipment. As a result, some businesses are not committing enough time to the management of aging technologies or succession planning to ensure limited device overlap.

Without the correct, up-to-date support, EOL devices are a ‘point of invasion’ for attackers looking to gain access to lesser defended internal infrastructure and assets. What’s more, EOL devices often lack the comprehensive capacity for malware scanning, TLS interception, and AI-driven threat detection. The absence of these can leave EOL devices open to an onslaught of attacks, leaving the door ajar for attackers and exposing the sensitive data these devices were designed to safeguard. The average cost of recovery from a ransomware attack has dropped by 44% in the last year, as revealed by Sophos’ latest State of Ransomware report. But with attacks costing an average $1.53m, the business impact remains stark.

Unsupported devices can bring needless risk to organisations, particularly in sectors that are data-rich but funding-poor. According to Sophos’ Active Adversary report 40% of breaches investigated had unprotected systems, 5% of which were EOL devices.

For managed service providers (MSPs), this presents an opportunity to support partners with risk mitigation – and transition them to tailored and improved solutions where needed. A failure to address EOL device risk could lead to service disruptions and potential liability for any organisation.

MSPs: The Vanguard of Trust

Where companies may lack internal skills and resources, they can turn to MSPs for strategic counsel, reliability, and proactivity. MSPs can become an integral part of the business, applying their expertise to manage the lifecycle of network edge devices effectively, anticipating failures, and nipping lifecycle management problems in the bud before they escalate.

Sophos’ 2025 Active Adversary report found that Managed Detection Response cases involving non-ransomware (or pre-ransomware) incidents are detected more quickly than traditional Incident Response cases. This speed is driven by a combination of detection engineering and continuous vigilance provided by MDR teams. Many organisations lack the visibility needed to reduce dwell times, and this is where MSPs and MDR teams play a vital role.

Best Practices for Lifecycle Management

Offence can often be the best defence. Effective lifecycle management must have proactivity at its core, the core tenets of which include:

Regular Audits: Conducting thorough audits of IT infrastructure is essential for identifying EOL devices and assessing their vulnerabilities. Ongoing visibility around the status of these devices ensures you stay on top of any growing concerns.

External Attack Surface Management (EASM): Leveraging EASM services, such as Sophos Managed Risk, allows organisations to gain a comprehensive view of their external attack surface. By identifying and mitigating vulnerabilities before they can be exploited, EASM plays a crucial role in preventing cyberattacks.

Strategic Device Replacement: Implementing a planned device replacement schedule is crucial. Rather than waiting for devices to fail, organisations should proactively replace EOL hardware and software with supported alternatives. This ensures that their infrastructure remains secure and reliable.

Strong MSP Partnerships: Building strong relationships with trusted MSPs is vital. MSPs can offer expert guidance, implement robust security solutions, and provide ongoing support to manage the complexities of device lifecycle management. They can also ensure that organisations have the guidance to make informed decisions about technology upgrades and replacements.

Live and Let Die

Effective management of EOL devices is critical when it comes to mitigating risk and improving organisational cyber security posture. When the risks are understood, organisations should leverage expertise, implement best practices, and launch an offence against unpatched vulnerabilities. The threat landscape continues to change, but proactive lifecycle management helps organisations stand tall and meet tomorrow’s challenges head-on.

This Article is sponsored by Sophos