Our IT is more assistive about this kind of thing. We have embedded systems running on Windows XP which require SMB to operate, but apparently the version of SMB which shipped on XP is totally cooked from a security standpoint, so they set up a subnet just for these machines. We have several FANUC controllers which are only able to download programs over FTP or RS-232, so they have another subnet set up for unencrypted FTP. Lots of other machines across the shop floor running the gamut from NT 4.0 and Windows 98 through Windows 7 which all require network access (though NOT Internet access), because it is the least bad option.
These machines are core to the business though. When the Clownstrike meltdown happened, they made all the office workers wait until these things were fixed (the damage was limited to a handful of the newest equipment though). It’s a very different situation than e.g. a university were one random piece of lab equipment stops working in a department the administration doesn’t even remember exists.
Our IT is more assistive about this kind of thing. We have embedded systems running on Windows XP which require SMB to operate, but apparently the version of SMB which shipped on XP is totally cooked from a security standpoint, so they set up a subnet just for these machines. We have several FANUC controllers which are only able to download programs over FTP or RS-232, so they have another subnet set up for unencrypted FTP. Lots of other machines across the shop floor running the gamut from NT 4.0 and Windows 98 through Windows 7 which all require network access (though NOT Internet access), because it is the least bad option.
These machines are core to the business though. When the Clownstrike meltdown happened, they made all the office workers wait until these things were fixed (the damage was limited to a handful of the newest equipment though). It’s a very different situation than e.g. a university were one random piece of lab equipment stops working in a department the administration doesn’t even remember exists.