End of Life of Software: Can expired milk become a security breach?

Would you drink milk past its expiration date? Probably not—because you know it could make you sick. Yet, many organizations keep using software long past its End-of-Life (EOL) date, exposing themselves to security breaches, compliance failures, and operational breakdowns. Just like spoiled food, outdated software can have hidden dangers that aren’t always visible—until it’s too late.

In this talk, we’ll explore:

- What happens when software expires? (Like food, software deteriorates over time)
- The hidden risks of EOL software (Security vulnerabilities = the mold you don’t see)
- Why businesses ‘keep’ expired software (Cost? Inconvenience? Same reason some people keep old condiments!)
- Best practices for a healthy eating (Regular upgrades, patching, and a strong tech lifecycle strategy), specially those which work at Okta.
- Case studies of organizations that ‘got food poisoning’ (Real-world consequences of ignoring EOL software)

Transcript

1. © Okta and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. © Okta and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. (she/her) Archita Aparichita Security Engineer Manager End of Life of Software: Can expired milk become a security breach? Open Source Summit Europe 2025 Amsterdam (he/him) José Carlos Chávez Security Software Engineer
2. © Okta and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. What happens if you drink milk?
3. © Okta and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Why do people drink milk? 1. Due to its proteins, vitamins and minerals 2. Several probable health reasons 3. It is everywhere 4. It is tasty :yummy:
4. © Okta and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
5. © Okta and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. YET, what happens if you drink spoiled milk? • Abdominal pain • Nausea • Vomiting • Diarrhea
6. © Okta and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Often, these symptoms will alleviate themselves within 12-24 hours If you STOP drinking the spoiled milk!
7. © Okta and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
8. © Okta and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. What happens if you use expired software • Compromised security • Increased maintenance cost • Lack of technical support • Compliance challenges • Incompatibility with current solutions EXPIRY DATE 14/08/2005
9. © Okta and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. For sure, these symptoms will NOT alleviate themselves Nor within a reasonable SLA
10. © Okta and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Software Lifecycle
11. © Okta and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. The hidden risks of EOL software EoL Software Security Risks Non Compliance Maintenance Unknown Risks Known CVEs Compound Risk Operational Issue Regulatory Vendor Contractual Legal Risk
12. © Okta and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Why do businesses ‘keep’ expired software • Priorities/Roadmap • Migration costs • Lack of Awareness & Ownership • Return on Investment
13. © Okta and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Source: https://www.chainguard.dev/unchained/why-end-of-life-software-means-400-cves-per-year Organizations that ‘got food poisoning’
14. © Okta and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
15. © Okta and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Healthy software maintenance practices • Effectively manage your entire software asset inventory • Detect approaching End-of-Life for software early • Implement regular updates and security patching routines • Embrace ownership
16. © Okta and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. How we solved it @Okta
17. © Okta and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Conclusions 1. Security shall be a first class concern among engineering 2. Upgrade often and early to make it a fluid process 3. Actively monitor EoL life of components 4. Well defined ownership is crucial to plan and execute upgrades 5. Automate as much as possible
18. © Okta and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved. Thank you! © Okta and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.