You may recall the article from last year, Last Microsoft Edge Update for 2022. This was not only the last update for 2022 but also for Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 and below and Mac Monterry OS and below. Google Chrome will no longer update on devices that have or will reach end-of-life this year as Windows Server 2012 in October.
What Does This Mean?
It is no surprise that you will no longer have any performance nor security updates. This is huge, as there have been many flaws that the Chromium engine patched since December; many which have already been exploited by cybercriminals already. Anyone that will continue to use any outdated or soon to be outdated operating systems are opening themselves up to greater risks. Why? The security vulnerabilities have already been published and there are proof-of-concepts from security researchers and verified exploits available.
Plan To Upgrade & Update
It has been said that cybercriminals will start with the 'lowest hanging fruit' and there are many that are ripe for the picking. Many of these systems are exposed on the internet for various purposes such as, remote desktop or file sharing, etc. Of course, this is not best practice and should be corrected quickly. If you don't think so, check the event log for failed login attempts and see if you are not in awe or gasp out of shock or fear. How many are browsing the web on such systems with outdated browsers and/or operating systems? How likely could one succumb to an exploit and not even know it?
Now is the time to start planning to upgrade. This may mean that a budget will need to be made. Talk with your IT personnel, whether internal or outsourced to see what you will need based on the needs of your business. Many will say that they only access cloud applications so they will not need much processing power nor memory but that is not always the case. There are power users that have many browser tabs open and some locally install applications for editing. We all know that having adequate memory and proper hard drives do much for performance and save time.
Of course, just planning for the current end-of-life is not all. Would it also be best to start planning for the Windows 10 devices, which reach end-of-life on October 14, 2025, that cannot upgrade to Windows 11?
If you need assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us. We will be happy to help you get the proper specs and pricing. If you know what you need and hope to get better pricing on Windows Pro licenses, we are also available.
Would it be wise to start planning now? Upgrade, update and secure before a mistake or a successful attack and better secure your business.
