Cybers Guards > Web Tech > Learn > Backporting in Cybersecurity: Everything IT Leaders Need to Know in 2025Learn

Did you know that nearly 60% of enterprises worldwide still rely on legacy systems, many of which no longer receive official vendor support? This might make sense from a budget or compatibility standpoint, but it creates a major security gap. If hackers find a way into an old system without updates, the consequences can be devastating.

So, what’s the solution if migrating or upgrading isn’t possible? Enter backporting.

In cybersecurity, backporting refers to the process of taking patches, bug fixes, or updates created for newer versions of software and adapting them for older versions that are still in use. It’s a critical strategy in industries like healthcare, finance, and defense where legacy systems are common—but security cannot be compromised.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through what backporting is, why it matters, how it works, its benefits and challenges, best practices, use cases, and future ...