As of today, Microsoft’s has ended Windows 10 support. And according to Roger Grimes, CISO Advisor at cybersecurity company KnowBe4, that could leave users vulnerable to cyberattacks.
“Windows 10 was released over 10 years ago, so it doesn’t surprise me that Microsoft is finally sunsetting it. Competitors like Apple and Linux often only support the latest versions for a few years, so ten years of support is extraordinary. With that said, there are tens of millions of Windows 10 users (there are also hundreds of thousands to millions of even earlier Windows users out there), and Microsoft can’t simply abandon them.
But what does support look like when Microsoft no longer provides support? If history is any indicator, in the past Microsoft was forced to release a few critical patches that were being widely exploited in the world, but the practical reality is that any Windows 10 user needs to move to a newer version or use something else. If they can’t and there are very valid reasons why a customer MUST continue to use Windows 10 and must accept the risk. That’s life. But those Windows 10 users should isolate Windows 10 computers off the network and Internet if they can, or significantly isolate them using other domain isolation techniques (e.g., firewalls, IPSEC, etc.) and enable aggressive security monitoring. A Windows 10 computer is a high-risk computer and needs to be treated like it.”
Now updating to Windows 11 is the clear answer to this dealing with Windows 10’s demise. But that’s not always easy as it is entirely possible that you have to replace hardware, or some piece of software that you rely upon might break and not have an easy path to update. Assuming that an update path exists.
But there’s another option if you must run Windows 10. You can extend its lifespan with the Extended Security Updates (ESU) program by paying Microsoft. More details can be found here. Interestingly EU customers don’t have to pay for this. At least for the first year. That’s the benefit of living in a jurisdiction that takes cybersecurity more seriously than we do. Having said that, this is a viable option if you must run Windows 10 beyond today.
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This entry was posted on October 14, 2025 at 4:46 pm and is filed under Commentary with tags Microsoft. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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Windows 10 Support Ends TODAY
As of today, Microsoft’s has ended Windows 10 support. And according to Roger Grimes, CISO Advisor at cybersecurity company KnowBe4, that could leave users vulnerable to cyberattacks.
“Windows 10 was released over 10 years ago, so it doesn’t surprise me that Microsoft is finally sunsetting it. Competitors like Apple and Linux often only support the latest versions for a few years, so ten years of support is extraordinary. With that said, there are tens of millions of Windows 10 users (there are also hundreds of thousands to millions of even earlier Windows users out there), and Microsoft can’t simply abandon them.
But what does support look like when Microsoft no longer provides support? If history is any indicator, in the past Microsoft was forced to release a few critical patches that were being widely exploited in the world, but the practical reality is that any Windows 10 user needs to move to a newer version or use something else. If they can’t and there are very valid reasons why a customer MUST continue to use Windows 10 and must accept the risk. That’s life. But those Windows 10 users should isolate Windows 10 computers off the network and Internet if they can, or significantly isolate them using other domain isolation techniques (e.g., firewalls, IPSEC, etc.) and enable aggressive security monitoring. A Windows 10 computer is a high-risk computer and needs to be treated like it.”
Now updating to Windows 11 is the clear answer to this dealing with Windows 10’s demise. But that’s not always easy as it is entirely possible that you have to replace hardware, or some piece of software that you rely upon might break and not have an easy path to update. Assuming that an update path exists.
But there’s another option if you must run Windows 10. You can extend its lifespan with the Extended Security Updates (ESU) program by paying Microsoft. More details can be found here. Interestingly EU customers don’t have to pay for this. At least for the first year. That’s the benefit of living in a jurisdiction that takes cybersecurity more seriously than we do. Having said that, this is a viable option if you must run Windows 10 beyond today.
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This entry was posted on October 14, 2025 at 4:46 pm and is filed under Commentary with tags Microsoft. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.