Windows 3.11 in 2024? Here’s why.

There is a job advert for a Windows 3.11 administrator role in the rail industry doing the rounds on the internet right now – e.g. here at Heise. It’s often accompanied by the question why such old systems are still in use – it’s 2024!

Yes, this is the reality of OT systems – not just in the rail industry. These systems are used, for example, in trains or interlocking systems to control processes.  Such systems are designed for a very long lifetime, e.g. 20 or 30 years.

One of the reasons for this is the expensive and time-consuming approval processes for both hardware and software for such critical applications.

You can’t just upgrade the display operating system (that’s the system the job posting is referring to) on such a system without re-certification. Re-certification involves a lot of work to ensure, for example, the safety of the system with the upgraded software.

This issue becomes very interesting when combined with the need for timely updates from a security perspective. Approaches are currently being developed and incorporated into standards and legislation on how such security updates can be approved in a timely manner.