What Should Every Ohio Credit Union Clean Up in Its IT Environment Before December 31, 2026?

November is here.

Thanksgiving is around the corner. Employees are scheduling time off. Budgets are being finalized. And somewhere, somebody is already talking about what needs to happen in 2027.

But before your credit union starts making big plans for next year, I have a question.

What unfinished technology business are you carrying into 2027?

I was talking with a business leader about year-end planning, and the conversation started with all the exciting things they wanted to accomplish next year.

Cloud improvements.

New equipment.

Better cybersecurity.

More efficient operations.

All good things.

Then I asked a simple question:

“Before we start talking about next year, have we cleaned up everything we should have finished this year?”

That changed the conversation.

Because sometimes the most valuable technology improvement isn’t buying something new.

It’s cleaning up something old.

An account that should have been disabled.

A server that’s overdue for replacement.

A software subscription nobody uses.

A backup that hasn’t been tested.

A vendor contract nobody has reviewed.

A technology project that was supposed to be completed six months ago.

None of those things sound particularly exciting.

But they can create unnecessary cost, cybersecurity exposure, and operational headaches.

For an Ohio credit union with 25–100 employees, I recommend using the final 30–60 days of 2026 to complete a focused technology cleanup. Start with 15 practical checks across five areas: security, infrastructure, vendors, documentation, and planning.

You don’t need to fix everything before December 31.

You do need to know what needs attention, who’s responsible, and what happens next.

Let’s walk through it.

1. Clean Up Your Cybersecurity Housekeeping

Let’s start with security.

Not because cybersecurity is the only thing that matters.

Because little security problems have a way of becoming big business problems when nobody pays attention.

Checklist Item #1: Review Employee Accounts

When was the last time somebody reviewed every active employee account?

Not just the employees who work there today.

I’m talking about accounts belonging to people who left, changed departments, or no longer need certain permissions.

Ask your IT team:

• Are former employee accounts disabled?
• Are inactive accounts reviewed?
• Do employees have access appropriate for their current roles?
• Are shared accounts documented and controlled?
• Are onboarding and offboarding procedures being followed?

An old account shouldn’t become a permanent guest in your technology environment.

Checklist Item #2: Review Administrator and Vendor Access

Administrative accounts deserve extra attention.

These are the accounts that may have the ability to change settings, manage systems, or grant permissions.

Ask:

Who has administrative access today, and why?

Include outside technology vendors in that conversation.

A provider may have needed access for a project in March.

Does that access still need to exist in November?

If not, remove it through your established access-management process.

Checklist Item #3: Check MFA and Security Exceptions

Multi-factor authentication is an important security control.

But here’s the question I like better than “Do we have MFA?”

“Where don’t we have MFA, and why?”

Review important systems, Microsoft 365 accounts, administrative access, remote access, and vendor connections.

Document exceptions and establish a plan for addressing them.

An exception nobody remembers approving deserves a closer look.

2. Clean Up Aging Technology and Unfinished Projects

Now let’s talk about equipment.

Technology doesn’t last forever.

And hoping an aging server makes it through another year isn’t really a technology strategy.

Checklist Item #4: Review Your Hardware Inventory

Start with a list of your important equipment.

Computers.

Servers.

Firewalls.

Network switches.

Wireless equipment.

Backup devices.

Then document age, warranty status, support status, business importance, and replacement plans.

For initial budgeting, common planning ranges include:

Equipment	Typical planning range
Employee computers	4–5 years
Servers	5–7 years
Firewalls	5–6 years
Network switches	7–10 years
Wireless equipment	5–7 years

These are planning guidelines, not automatic replacement deadlines. Actual timing depends on vendor support, workload, security, reliability, and business requirements.

The point is to know what’s coming.

A $20,000 infrastructure problem is much easier to manage when it’s in next year’s budget than when it appears as an emergency.

Checklist Item #5: Identify Unsupported Technology

Ask your technology team:

“Do we have any hardware, operating systems, or applications that are no longer receiving appropriate vendor support or security updates?”

If the answer is yes, identify the business impact and next step.

Some systems may need replacement.

Others may require an upgrade, migration, or temporary risk-reduction measures.

What matters is that leadership understands the situation.

Checklist Item #6: Review Unfinished Technology Projects

Every organization has them.

The project that started but never quite finished.

The software rollout that stalled.

The network improvement that was postponed.

The cybersecurity recommendation waiting for approval.

Before December 31, create a simple list.

For each project, decide:

Finish it.

Move it into the 2027 roadmap.

Or formally close it because the business no longer needs it.

Don’t let unfinished projects quietly disappear into next year’s confusion.

3. Clean Up Technology Spending and Vendor Relationships

Here’s an area that can produce immediate value.

You may be paying for technology your credit union no longer needs.

Checklist Item #7: Review Software Licenses and Subscriptions

Take a look at your recurring technology expenses.

Microsoft 365 licenses.

Security subscriptions.

Cloud services.

Backup software.

Collaboration tools.

Specialized applications.

Ask:

• Are we paying for licenses nobody uses?
• Are former employees still assigned paid licenses?
• Do we have overlapping products?
• Are we using the features we’re paying for?
• Could we simplify anything without weakening security or operations?

The goal isn’t to cut technology spending blindly.

It’s to make sure your money is supporting something useful.

Checklist Item #8: Review Critical Vendor Contracts

Which contracts renew in the next six months?

Which ones renew automatically?

Which vendors have access to sensitive information?

Which providers are critical to daily operations?

For important relationships, review service performance, access, security expectations, renewal terms, and business continuity dependencies.

Don’t wait until a contract renewal is three days away to decide whether the relationship still makes sense.

Checklist Item #9: Identify Technology Spending Surprises

Sit down with finance and review the technology expenses that surprised you in 2026.

Emergency repairs?

Unexpected renewals?

Additional cloud costs?

Unplanned equipment?

Outside consulting?

Now ask:

“Could we have anticipated any of these expenses?”

Some surprises are unavoidable.

Others are really planning problems wearing a disguise.

Those are the ones we want to eliminate in 2027.

4. Clean Up Documentation and Recovery Plans

Here’s something that doesn’t get enough attention.

Documentation.

It’s not glamorous.

But when something breaks, good documentation becomes extremely valuable.

Checklist Item #10: Update Your Technology Documentation

Ask your technology team whether important information is accurate and accessible to authorized personnel.

That includes:

• Network diagrams
• System inventories
• Vendor contact information
• Administrative account ownership
• Secure credential-management procedures
• Internet and telecommunications information
• Critical application dependencies
• Support and escalation procedures

You don’t want your recovery plan to depend on one employee remembering how something was configured four years ago.

Checklist Item #11: Verify Backup and Recovery Readiness

We’ve talked about this throughout our Cybersecurity Awareness Month series.

A successful backup isn’t the same thing as a successful recovery.

Before year-end, ask:

When was the last successful restore test?

Which critical systems have been tested?

How long did recovery take?

Are backups protected appropriately?

Do our recovery expectations still match the needs of the business?

If the answer is “We’re pretty sure everything works,” schedule a test.

Confidence should come from evidence.

Checklist Item #12: Update Emergency Contacts and Response Procedures

The holiday season can create staffing challenges.

People take vacations.

Vendors have different schedules.

Key decision-makers may be unavailable.

Make sure your credit union knows who to contact during a serious technology or cybersecurity incident.

Review emergency contact information, escalation procedures, incident-response responsibilities, and alternative communication methods.

And make sure essential information is available even if your normal systems are down.

5. Clean Up Your Technology Strategy Before 2027

Now we’re ready to look ahead.

But instead of starting with a wish list, let’s start with what we learned.

Checklist Item #13: Review Your 2026 Technology Results

What did your credit union accomplish this year?

Did you improve cybersecurity?

Replace aging equipment?

Modernize Microsoft 365?

Complete cloud projects?

Improve recovery capabilities?

Reduce recurring technology problems?

Document the progress.

Leadership should understand where technology investments made a difference.

Checklist Item #14: Identify Your Top Three Unresolved Risks

You may have a long list of technology concerns.

That’s normal.

But before December 31, I want your leadership team to identify the three issues that deserve the most attention going into 2027.

Maybe it’s an aging firewall.

Maybe it’s incomplete disaster recovery testing.

Maybe it’s too much dependence on one employee or vendor.

Maybe it’s an unresolved cybersecurity assessment finding.

Prioritize based on business impact, likelihood, urgency, and available resources.

Don’t just list the risks.

Assign ownership.

Checklist Item #15: Schedule Your 2027 Technology Planning Meeting

Here’s the final item.

Before the year ends, get your 2027 technology planning meeting on the calendar.

Set aside 90–120 minutes with the right people.

That may include executive leadership, operations, finance, internal technology staff, and your strategic technology partner.

Review:

• Business goals for 2027
• Cybersecurity priorities
• Aging infrastructure
• Microsoft 365 and cloud strategy
• Backup and disaster recovery
• Vendor relationships
• AI opportunities and governance
• Budget requirements
• Major projects and timelines

Leave with a short list of priorities, responsible owners, and target dates.

That’s how you move from reacting to technology problems to managing technology intentionally.

A Simple Year-End Framework: CLEAN

If you’re wondering how to organize all this, here’s a framework I like.

Think CLEAN.

C — Close Security Gaps

Review accounts, permissions, MFA, and unresolved security issues.

L — Look at Aging Technology

Identify equipment, applications, and projects that need attention.

E — Eliminate Waste

Review unused licenses, overlapping services, and unnecessary spending.

A — Audit Documentation and Recovery

Make sure important information is current and recovery plans have been tested.

N — Name Your 2027 Priorities

Identify the most important improvements, assign owners, and schedule the work.

Close. Look. Eliminate. Audit. Name.

Five categories.

Fifteen checks.

One practical year-end conversation.

What Could This Look Like for a 50-Employee Ohio Credit Union?

Let’s make this practical.

Imagine a credit union with 50 employees.

Leadership believes the technology environment is in pretty good shape.

But during a year-end cleanup, the team discovers:

• Three inactive accounts requiring review
• Five unused software licenses
• One firewall approaching its planned replacement window
• A vendor account with unnecessary privileges
• A recovery procedure that hasn’t been tested recently
• Two unfinished projects without assigned owners

Nothing here automatically means the credit union is in crisis.

But each item deserves attention.

Suppose the five unused licenses cost $25 per month each.

That’s $1,500 per year in potential recurring savings if those licenses can be removed without affecting operations.

The firewall can be placed into the 2027 capital plan.

The accounts and permissions can be reviewed promptly.

The recovery test can be scheduled.

And the two projects can be assigned owners or formally closed.

That’s what a successful year-end cleanup looks like.

Not a giant transformation.

Just fewer surprises and better decisions.

This is an illustrative scenario, not a documented CTG client result. Actual savings and findings will vary.

Your 30-Day Year-End Technology Cleanup Plan

You don’t need to spend the next two months in meetings.

Here’s a practical four-week approach.

Week	Focus	Deliverable
Week 1	Security and access	Account, MFA, and privileged-access review
Week 2	Infrastructure and spending	Hardware priorities, unused licenses, and vendor renewal list
Week 3	Documentation and recovery	Updated critical documentation and recovery-test status
Week 4	Leadership decisions	Top three 2027 priorities with owners and target dates

Some issues will need immediate attention.

Others will become part of your 2027 roadmap.

The goal is to make informed decisions before the calendar changes.

Five Questions for Your November Leadership Meeting

Before December 31, ask your technology team these five questions:

1. What technology or cybersecurity problems are we carrying into 2027?

2. Are we paying for anything we no longer need?

3. Which systems or devices are most likely to create an unexpected expense next year?

4. When did we last prove our critical systems could recover?

5. What are the three most important technology improvements we should prioritize in the first 90 days of 2027?

If you can answer those five questions clearly, you’re already in a better position to plan next year.

Final Thoughts: Finish 2026 Before You Start 2027

I understand why everybody wants to talk about new technology.

New projects are exciting.

Cloud modernization.

Artificial intelligence.

Better collaboration.

Improved cybersecurity.

New tools to help employees serve members.

Those things matter.

But sometimes the smartest technology move is cleaning up the things you’ve already got.

Remove unnecessary access.

Retire unused licenses.

Identify aging equipment.

Review vendors.

Update documentation.

Test recovery.

Finish or close old projects.

And make sure leadership understands what needs attention next.

You don’t have to solve every problem before December 31.

But you shouldn’t enter 2027 unaware of them.

Finish 2026 with fewer loose ends, fewer surprises, and a clearer plan.

That’s a pretty good way to start a new year.

Is Your Credit Union Ready to Finish 2026 Strong?

Before you start investing in new technology for 2027, make sure you understand the environment you already have.

At Corporate Technologies Group (CTG), we help Ohio credit unions review their technology environment and build practical plans around:

• Cybersecurity and identity management
• Microsoft 365 and cloud modernization
• Hardware lifecycle planning
• Backup and disaster recovery
• Business continuity
• Technology vendor coordination
• IT budgeting and cost optimization
• Long-term technology strategy

CTG brings 26 years in business and more than 200 years of combined team experience to technology planning and support.

And because we’re vendor-agnostic, we start with your organization’s needs—not a particular product we’re trying to sell.

If your credit union has 25–100 employees, November is an excellent time to schedule a year-end technology review.

Let’s identify what’s working, what’s costing you money, what needs attention, and what should become a priority in 2027.

Talk with CTG

Phone: 330-655-8144
Email: brett.harney@ctgusa.net
Website: https://www.ctgusa.net

Let’s clean up 2026, eliminate unnecessary surprises, and build a stronger technology foundation for 2027.