Driving to a Technical Debt-Free Future

Technical debt is a persistent and critical challenge across government IT environments, impacting the security and resilience of systems at the local, state, and federal levels. For clarity, in this discussion “technical debt” refers to the added costs and time incurred later as a result of choosing quick, imperfect IT solutions in the moment or relying on antiquated and ineffective technology.  The risks introduced can directly affect agencies’ ability to deliver essential services that residents depend on. Continued use of legacy capabilities similarly ties up  resources that could otherwise apply to modern and innovative solutions to serve the public. As agencies accelerate adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and modernize to meet the demands of a post-quantum reality, there is an opportunity to prevent increasing tech debt by learning from the challenges of the past.

I had the opportunity to moderate a panel at the 2026 Billington State and Local Cybersecurity Summit featuring well-rounded perspectives from officials in county, state, and service providers positions with years of experience in public service and in IT roles. 

We did not solve technical debt in a 45 minute discussion but the insights were incredible. Agencies at all levels of government can take actionable steps take to reduce the risks and impact of legacy technology on today’s missions, and plan ahead so that the technology acquired today does not become tomorrow’s burden.

Scoping Technical Debt

Technical debt encompasses more than just desktops and laptops. It includes software, applications, identity systems, and infrastructure. Gaining visibility into assets is essential. You need to understand what is on your network, how it is accessed, and how it supports the mission. Only then can you apply practical criteria to define what is truly “debt.”

Technology that is no longer supported, cannot be updated, and cannot be patched is potential debt and introduces both operational and cybersecurity risk. It also represents an adversarial opportunity. It is like leaving a window open while you are working on locking all the doors.

At the same time, not all legacy technology can be removed quickly. Some systems are mission critical and deeply embedded in operations. A strategic approach starts by understanding how technology is used to deliver services, then weighing that value against the risk it introduces. With visibility into technologies and their use, you can connect risk to service delivery. What are the most important services, and which systems introduce the most risk to those services? That is where prioritization should start.

Eliminating Technical Debt with Collaboration

Operations and security teams must stay in active communication and collaboration to tackle technical debt. Translating technical security details into the operational language of mission impact is critical. It helps ensure operational owners understand the true implications of risk. An example of proper framing and impact could look like the following: “This technology cannot be protected against modern threats, and if it is compromised, we could lose the ability to manage our ambulance fleet.”

That kind of clarity supports shared prioritization. It makes it easier to agree on next steps, whether that means replacement, reconfiguration, or compensating controls.

End-of-life technologies that cannot operate with modern architectures should rise to the top. Other technology that may be old and meet the definition of “debt” does not automatically need to be removed immediately. In some cases, agencies can reduce risk by integrating legacy systems more safely with a modern architecture, preserving continuity of service while minimizing exposure.

Planning to Stop Future Debt

As entities move quickly to implement  emerging technology like AI, agencies are at risk of creating a new wave of technical debt. Planning beyond initial acquisition and deployment  is critical. Every technology implementation should include a lifecycle plan that answers key questions: How does this solution fit into the future-state architecture? What modernization funding is available over time? What is the exit path when the technology is no longer supported and begins to create unacceptable risk?

An architectural review board is a strong first step to ensure baseline requirements are followed during implementation of new enterprise technology. It can help drive alignment with security and operational standards, prevent unmanaged debt, and safeguard essential services through governance and accountability. Building clear governance to support board decisions is the next step toward operationalizing thoughtful technology acquisition.

Technology is only as good as the direction behind it. When lifecycle planning becomes part of implementation, agencies can drive how solutions are used to strengthen missions, not create future constraints.

Tangible Steps to Get Debt Free

Technical debt is not only a modernization problem. It is also an access, exposure, and risk management problem. Even when agencies cannot immediately replace legacy systems, they can reduce the likelihood and blast radius of compromise by modernizing how users and devices connect to applications and data.

Leaders can reduce technical debt risk in four practical ways:

1. Reduce exposure by modernizing access
   Many legacy environments still rely on network-based access models that expose broad internal resources. Moving to application-based access helps reduce unnecessary exposure so users connect only to what they are authorized to use.
2. Limit impact with segmentation and policy
   When older systems must remain in place, limiting who can reach them, from which devices, and under what conditions can materially lower risk. Access policies based on identity, device posture, and context help agencies tighten control without disrupting operations.
3. Improve visibility for better prioritization
   Agencies cannot fix what they cannot see. Better visibility into users, applications, and traffic patterns helps teams identify where legacy risk is concentrated and prioritize remediation based on mission impact.
4. Support modernization without creating new debt
   As agencies adopt AI-enabled workflows and prepare for post-quantum requirements, secure-by-design connectivity and consistent policy enforcement help ensure these tools deliver sustained mission value and reduce the next generation of technical debt.

A debt-free future does not require ripping and replacing everything at once. It requires reducing exposure, enforcing consistent access controls, and building lifecycle planning into every new decision. With the right governance and the right architecture, agencies can protect critical services today while steadily retiring the legacy risk that holds them back.