The 747’s Floppy Disks
While we are a managed service provider, we really do believe the motto “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” It might sound a little hypocritical for us to say, but we spend a lot of time talking about the values of proactive maintenance and other strategies. Today, we’re going to be talking about the Boeing 747 which is one of the pieces of technologies we still believe in.
The 747’s Floppy Disks
Recently, a retired Boeing 747 made an appearance during a hacking conference. A cybersecurity firm spotted a classic 3.5-inch floppy disk drive in the cockpits, you know these floppy disks because the iconic save button is based after it.
In the 747, these drives were used to load the plane’s databases and the updates were installed in sequences. It’s kind of funny how floppy disks have vanished otherwise. When did you last use one? Potentially, never.
You might ask why an aircraft might rely on this kind of technology, especially technology people haven’t ever even used before because it is so old. Shouldn’t reliability be important for an aircraft?
The answer is yes. And you’d be surprised that the 747s are a perfect choice. Large commercial aircraft are meant to go a very long way, and only 1,558 were ever even constructed, with 419 still in use. These airplanes were actually made to use floppy discs, so they still do.
While floppy disks aren’t exactly the most secure type of technology, they are less likely to be hacked or corrupted. What we want you to know is that older technology is only less secure when it is being used with modern technology, but if it’s being used as it was made to, it is A-Ok.
This is important to note for the technology you use in your office. If you pair an old printer with a brand new computer, there might be some issues. This might make it more vulnerable to hacking and other security issues.
The true danger of outdated technology is that it can cause you major issues you might not even be aware of. Beyond switching out all of your hardware, you might just want to focus on keeping all of your technology updated.
Secure Older Technology is Still Secure
If you use an older operating system, it can only be secure if it’s paired with other security technology. We aren’t telling you to keep an old Windows 98 desktop, but we trust you to keep your technology on the same level.
What older pieces of tech do you still use? Do you use the Boeing 747? Keep an eye on MyTek’s blog to learn more about technology.