Intended Audience: Decision-makers, IT Managers, Project Stakeholders, and Digital Teams responsible for website management

Time to Read: 5 minutes

Executive Summary

This document outlines the significant risks of maintaining websites on the outdated Ripple 1.x framework rather than upgrading to Ripple 2. The risks are categorized as short-term (0-12 months) and long-term (beyond 12 months), addressing security, technical, operational, and financial concerns.

Short-Term Risks (0-12 months)

Security Vulnerabilities

  • End-of-Support Technology: Ripple 1's core technologies (Nuxt.js 2.x and Vue.js 2.x) reached end-of-life status in June 2024, meaning critical security vulnerabilities will remain unpatched.
  • Zero-Day Vulnerabilities: New security exploits discovered in the underlying framework will not receive patches, leaving websites permanently vulnerable.
  • Dependency Obsolescence: Third-party libraries used by Ripple 1 are increasingly unmaintained, expanding the attack surface.

Technical Limitations

  • Browser Compatibility Issues: Modern browser updates may break functionality, requiring custom patches and workarounds.
  • Mobile Experience Degradation: Ripple 1's responsive design capabilities are increasingly outdated compared to current standards.
  • Performance Issues: Inefficient data processing in Ripple 1 causes slower page loads, particularly on mobile devices.
  • Integration Challenges: New third-party services and APIs may be incompatible with Ripple 1's outdated implementation.

Operational Impact

  • Limited Content Management: Content editors struggle with Ripple 1's outdated editorial tools and workflows.
  • Accessibility Non-Compliance: Increasing difficulty meeting WCAG 2.2 requirements with Ripple 1's architecture.
  • Reduced Search Functionality: Outdated search capabilities limit users' ability to find critical information.
  • Reduced Development Agility: Implementing new features becomes increasingly difficult and time-consuming.

Financial Considerations

  • Increasing Maintenance Costs: Specialized knowledge required for Ripple 1 maintenance commands premium rates.
  • Inefficient Content Operations: Routine content updates require more staff hours due to workflow limitations.
  • Unplanned Emergency Fixes: Critical issues requiring immediate attention incur premium development costs.

Long-Term Risks (Beyond 12 months)

Security & Compliance Failures

  • Growing Security Debt: The gap between modern security standards and Ripple 1's capabilities will widen exponentially.
  • Non-Compliance Penalties: Inability to meet government security requirements may result in compliance violations.
  • Data Breach Vulnerability: Increasing likelihood of security incidents due to unpatched vulnerabilities.
  • Authentication Weaknesses: Legacy authentication mechanisms are becoming increasingly vulnerable to modern attack methods.

Technical Sustainability Crisis

  • Complete Technical Obsolescence: Components may cease to function entirely with modern infrastructure updates.
  • Developer Expertise Scarcity: Finding developers who understand the outdated technology stack will become nearly impossible.
  • Prohibitive Development Environment: Tools required to maintain Ripple 1 will become increasingly difficult to install and use.
  • Increased Technical Debt: Accumulation of workarounds and patches will make the codebase increasingly unstable.

Severe Operational Impacts

  • Service Disruptions: Higher likelihood of unplanned outages as components fail and workarounds become untenable.
  • Content Publishing Failures: Risk of critical information being unavailable during emergencies.
  • Reputation Damage: Public perception of digital services suffering as user experience deteriorates.
  • Loss of Digital Channel Effectiveness: Reduced ability to deliver important messaging via digital channels.

Unsustainable Financial Burden

  • Exponential Cost Increases: Maintenance costs may rise by 30-50% annually as expertise becomes scarcer.
  • Migration Cost Escalation: Each year of delay increases migration complexity and cost by an estimated 15-25%.
  • Opportunity Costs: Inability to implement cost-saving features available in Ripple 2.
  • Crisis Response Expenses: Potential for significant unbudgeted expenditure when critical failures occur.

Impact on High-Traffic Public-Facing Websites

These websites are particularly vulnerable to these risks due to:

  • Critical Public Information Function: These platforms deliver essential information directly to the public.
  • High Content Volume: The extensive content makes migration more complex the longer it's delayed.
  • Time-Sensitive Information: Important advisories and updates require reliable, rapid publishing capabilities.
  • Accessibility Requirements: Public information must remain accessible to all citizens, including those with disabilities.

Conclusion

Maintaining websites on Ripple 1 presents significant and escalating risks across security, technical, operational, and financial dimensions. The documented end-of-life status for core technologies creates immediate security vulnerabilities, while technical obsolescence will lead to mounting costs and potential service disruptions.

The recommendation is to proceed with Ripple 2 migration as soon as possible to mitigate these risks and provide a secure, maintainable platform for delivering critical information to citizens.