Why outdated software is a preventable gateway for attacks

01 Technical background

Attackers do not need to find new vulnerabilities. It is enough to know the old ones and find a system that they have not yet closed. This makes outdated software a worthwhile target: The vulnerability is publicly known, and the appropriate tool is freely available.

Almost all types of publicly accessible applications are affected, including web servers, content management systems, online stores, interfaces, frameworks, or firewall applications.

Outdated software is referred to when the applications or software components used no longer meet the current security standards. This can have two main causes:

Uninstalled security updates are often the result of insufficient patch management. However, continued use of software after support ends regularly points to deficiencies in asset and lifecycle management.

02 Risks and impacts

Known security vulnerabilities are publicly documented. For many, ready-made attack tools exist. Attackers do not specifically target individual companies, but instead continuously scan the Internet for vulnerable systems. In many services, it is already possible to see from the outside which software and version is being used – information that makes exploiting known vulnerabilities easier for attackers.

If an attack succeeds, the data processed there can be accessed. In the worst case, the attacker takes complete control of the system.

If personal data are processed through such a system, the requirements of the GDPR must also be taken into account. Article 32 of the GDPR requires controllers to take appropriate technical and organizational measures, based on the state of the art, to reduce the risks to these data. Operating a software version with known security vulnerabilities or after its support end will not regularly meet these requirements.

If the exploitation of such a vulnerability leads to unauthorized disclosure, modification, or loss of personal data, a violation of personal data protection (so-called data protection incident) is usually involved.

Older systems that have already been technically replaced but are still publicly accessible carry an increased risk. They are out of the scope of patch management, but remain accessible, often still containing valuable information and, in the worst case, even providing access to the internal network.

03 How to identify the vulnerability

Which mandatory fields should companies check?

Not only the greeting can be affected. Often, mandatory fields are found such as:

The same question should be asked for each of these fields:

If this question cannot be answered convincingly, the field should at least not be made mandatory.

It's not just about websites

The principle of data minimization does not only apply to contact forms. Similarly, companies should, for example, consider:

Especially systems that have been in place for many years often contain mandatory fields whose necessity has never been questioned.

What companies should do now

The ECJ ruling is a good reason to critically review existing data collection procedures. Based on our consulting experience, we recommend:,

This does not mean, however, that addressing someone in a general way is no longer permissible. What is crucial is whether the specific information is actually needed for the specific purpose.

Conclusion

The judgment of the European Court of Justice concerns much more than the question of the correct address. It reminds companies of one of the central principles of the GDPR:

Only those personal data that are actually necessary for the respective purpose may be collected.

Data minimization is therefore not a purely legal requirement, but an important component of data protection-compliant processes. By regularly reviewing its forms, systems, and mandatory fields, companies not only reduce data protection risks but often also improve the user-friendliness of their applications.

Our support

Whether website, customer portal or internal processes – we support you in putting existing data collection procedures under scrutiny. Together, we review which personal data is actually required, identify optimization potential and help you implement the principle of data minimization in a practical and legally compliant manner. In this way, you create lean processes, strengthen customer trust and meet the requirements of the GDPR at the same time.