Legacy software, also known as inherited or outdated software, is one of the most invisible yet critical challenges in managing today’s technological infrastructures. While at first glance it may seem like a stable solution—“if it works, don’t touch it”—the reality is that these systems can become an open door to critical cybersecurity vulnerabilities, compatibility issues, and significant operational risks.

In this article, we explore in depth what legacy software is, why it still exists in so many organizations, what its real risks are, and which strategies can be implemented to mitigate its impact on information security and business continuity.

Currently, more than 75% of security breaches are related to human factor errors. As companies strengthen their protection systems, cybercriminals are increasingly targeting employees, exploiting their daily habits to achieve higher success rates by taking advantage of a lack of cybersecurity awareness.

Generative artificial intelligence is already integrated into the business environment and, in 2025, 87% of global companies were exposed to AI-powered cyberattacks. Its adoption improves productivity, but it also expands the attack surface if data handling is not properly controlled.

The fintech sector continues to be the primary target for cybercriminals, with attacks increasing by more than 50% over the past year. Digitalization and the heavy use of third-party cloud services are expanding the attack surface.

Looking ahead to 2027, the shift is clear: moving from reacting to anticipating. Cybersecurity will become proactive and automated, supported by artificial intelligence and continuous verification.

Failure to adapt means accepting real risks: legal impact, reputational damage, and data breach costs that already exceed €3.9 million in Spain.

In the current cybersecurity ecosystem, there is a fascinating and at the same time terrifying paradox: while companies invest thousands of euros in next-generation firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and data encryption, the most common security breach remains a simple, well-written email. We are not talking about complex viruses or brute-force attacks, but about social engineering. Within this discipline, CEO Fraud has become the most lucrative and dangerous scam for the Spanish business sector.

Cyberattacks in the fintech sector have surged by 50%. With AI-powered phishing growing by 466%, relying on a single password is an open invitation to financial disaster. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is an essential barrier to prevent unauthorized access from damaging your company’s reputation and revenue.

Multi-factor authentication requires users to provide at least two different forms of identity verification before accessing the system.

In 2025, phishing is no longer an isolated cybersecurity issue but a direct risk to business continuity for digital wallet companies. With more than 1.13 million attacks per quarter and an average cost of 4.48 million dollars per breach, the real impact is not the attack itself, but what it causes: the loss of control over user security and trust in the platform.

In 2025, retail no longer competes only on price or product, but on something far more fundamental: always being available. During campaigns like Black Friday or seasonal sales, a system outage can easily mean losses of $5,000 per minute. And in an environment where all sales channels are connected, the impact goes beyond the online store: it can block inventory, shut down in-store POS systems, and disrupt the entire operation in real time.

In 2024, cyberattacks on the agri-food sector increased by 35%, affecting cooperatives, processing companies, and distributors. This means that a growing portion of the sector’s operations now takes place in digital environments exposed to threats that can compromise data, processes, and business continuity.

In an agricultural cooperative, a cyberattack does not only result in data loss. It can disrupt campaigns, block distribution, or interrupt systems, bringing business operations to a halt. To prevent these situations, cybersecurity policies become essential to ensure business continuity.

More than 80% of social engineering campaigns now incorporate AI, making malware harder to detect. Artificial intelligence is radically transforming these attacks: combined with large volumes of information, it automates execution, optimizes distribution, and personalizes campaigns, increasing their speed, scale, and sophistication.

In 2024, the financial sector once again accounted for nearly a quarter of all security breaches recorded globally, consolidating its position as one of the main targets of cybercrime.

In 2025, the financial sector in Spain accounted for nearly 34% of malware cyberattacks, putting critical data and operations at risk and potentially causing millions in losses. This is just one of many affected sectors—from transportation to healthcare—all exposed to disruptions, data theft, and regulatory consequences.