Are Your IBM Power Systems a Compliance Time Bomb?
29 January 2025
Are Your IBM Power Systems a Compliance Time Bomb?
The Risks of Third-Party Maintenance Revealed

Organisations running AIX or IBMi on IBM Power Systems often rely on Third Party Maintenance (TPM) providers to manage hardware support and maintenance. While TPMs can provide cost-effective services, their lack of legal access to critical IBM microcode and firmware updates creates significant compliance risks. This issue is particularly relevant for organisations striving to meet regulatory standards like DORA, ISO 27001, SOC 2, and PCI DSS.
In this blog, we explore the compliance risks associated with TPMs, the impact of outdated firmware on your systems, and how Baby Blue IT Consulting can help you address these risks ensuring access to updates, and bringing your systems up to date.
The Compliance Risks of TPM Providers Without IBM Microcode Access
1. Unpatched Vulnerabilities
TPMs often lack legal access to IBM’s proprietary microcode and firmware updates. Without these updates, critical hardware vulnerabilities remain unpatched, exposing your systems to potential exploitation. This directly undermines the security and risk management requirements outlined in standards like DORA, ISO 27001, SOC 2, and PCI DSS.
2. Delayed Incident Response and Recovery
When incidents occur, outdated firmware can complicate and delay resolution efforts. This impacts compliance with requirements for incident response, such as DORA’s operational resilience mandates or SOC 2’s incident management principles.
3. Third-Party Risk Management Failures
DORA, ISO 27001, SOC 2, and PCI DSS all emphasise the need for rigorous third-party risk management. A TPM provider’s inability to access IBM’s updates introduces unmanaged risks that can jeopardise compliance and operational resilience.
4. Operational Continuity Risks
Outdated microcode can lead to system outages, degraded performance, and instability. A percentage of hardware failures that TPMs regularly deal with have a microcode or firmware fix and could be avoided with correct management and access. These issues violate the operational continuity requirements of PCI DSS and DORA, as well as the availability principles in SOC 2.
5. Resilience Testing Challenges
Without access to firmware updates, resilience tests, such as threat-led penetration testing (TLPT), may yield incomplete or inaccurate results, leading to compliance gaps in standards like DORA and ISO 27001.
The Solution: Baby Blue IT Consulting and IBM Maintenance
To address these risks, organisations must transition their maintenance services back to IBM to regain access to critical firmware and microcode updates. Baby Blue IT Consulting offers a seamless way to achieve this while also reviewing and updating your current firmware levels to eliminate compliance risks.
How Baby Blue IT Consulting Helps
- Access to IBM Firmware and Microcode Updates:
Baby Blue IT Consulting works with IBM to ensure your systems receive the latest updates, addressing hardware vulnerabilities proactively.
- Firmware Level Assessment and Updates:
Our team conducts a thorough review of your current firmware levels, identifies outdated components, and updates them to the most recent versions.
- Compliance Alignment:
We align your infrastructure with the specific requirements of DORA, ISO 27001, SOC 2, and PCI DSS by mitigating hardware risks and ensuring operational resilience.
- Third-Party Risk Mitigation:
By transitioning your maintenance to IBM, Baby Blue IT Consulting eliminates unmanaged risks associated with TPMs or cloud providers lacking update access.
- Enhanced Incident Response and Continuity:
With IBM’s support, we ensure faster incident resolution, system stability, and compliance with continuity and recovery mandates.
Key Benefits of Partnering with Baby Blue IT Consulting
- Proactive Security: Eliminate vulnerabilities with timely firmware updates.
- Regulatory Compliance: Meet DORA, ISO 27001, SOC 2, and PCI DSS standards by addressing hardware-related risks.
- Improved System Performance: Ensure hardware stability and availability.
- Seamless Transition: Baby Blue IT Consulting makes transitioning maintenance to IBM simple and efficient.
- Expert Guidance: Our compliance experts help you navigate complex regulatory requirements with confidence.
Conclusion
Using a Third-Party Maintenance provider without access to IBM microcode and firmware updates exposes your organisation to significant compliance risks. These risks include unpatched vulnerabilities, delayed incident recovery, unmanaged third-party risks, and operational continuity failures.
By partnering with Baby Blue IT Consulting, you can transition your maintenance back to IBM, access critical updates, and bring your systems up to date. This proactive approach not only mitigates risks but also ensures compliance with key regulatory standards, safeguarding your organisation’s operations and reputation.
Contact Baby Blue IT Consulting today to secure your IBM Power Systems and achieve full compliance.
