Several software packages on our SOE Windows machines come with DEP and ASLR memory protections off by default. More troubling is that these applications run as SYSTEM and load their own drivers.

Given that these are expected memory protections and these are modern applications, is there any reason why they would/should be disabled for applications? 

Am I, as an administrator, able to forcibly enable them without? 
What is the risk of having such applications in the environment?