When an upgrade becomes a downgrade

Aswami says problems are not always due to hardware or software, as human error could also be a likely cause. — NORAFIFI EHSAN/The Star

PETALING JAYA: Downtime related to IT system upgrades is becoming a common issue for both the public and private sectors, causing the process to take even longer, says the Protem Digital Forensics Research Society (DFRS).

Commenting on The Star’s report that the Police Reporting System (PRS) is suffering from intermittent disruptions while it is being upgraded, DFRS president Dr Aswami Fadillah Mohd Ariffin said budget constraints is often one of the main challenges.

There are also other difficulties to overcome, such as a legacy system that may not be compatible with new technologies, thus making data migration more laborious, he added.

Sometimes, data leakage also occurs not due to the lack of security, but loopholes created during the migration process from an older system to a new one, said DFRS, a think tank made up of cyber and financial crime professionals, as well as industry influencers.

Other than hardware or software problems, human error could also be a cause, Aswami said, adding that “some issues could be due to negligence by the vendor”.

On his part, Aswami hoped that the police would do its part and inform the public about the issue.

“When something bad happens, the public has to go to the police to make a report, and with this ongoing issue, it’s just going to add to their frustrations, ” he said.

Ganesh said when a system breaks down, it goes to show that the upgrades may not have been completed or was done as a last resort. — FAIHAN GHANI/The Star

“They should make an announcement to advise the public on what to do, how to prepare, and explain their efforts to rectify the problems, ” he said.

According to Ganesh Kumar Bangah, the chairman of Pikom, the national tech association, today’s technology allows IT systems to be upgraded without disrupting its core functions.

As hardware infrastructure tends to be modular and can be added as needed, it isn’t always necessary to upgrade the entire system, said Ganesh.

“Any breakdown in the systems of the public or private sector is detrimental. Much time, money and manpower is lost when dealing with breakdowns, ” he said.

According to Pikom, when a system breaks down, it goes to show that the upgrades may not have been completed or were done as a last resort, which could have caused the system to exceed its capacity.

Aswami said there is also a need for companies and organisations to practise “forensic readiness”.

“They should start keeping a proper record and data on IT maintenance work carried out at any time. It will be easier to track past incidents and work out solutions from there, ” he said.