During2020 several versions of important Microsoft products will reach their end-of-support date, which means there will be no more technical support or updates. This does not imply that the software stops working, but it will stop receiving security updates with the potential risk involved. Are you going to leave your infrastructure and your applications unprotected?
The affected products are:
- Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2: End of support January 14, 2020
- Windows 7: End of support January 14, 2020
- Office 2010: End of support October 13, 2020
- Exchange Server 2010: End of support October 13, 2020
What does the end of support mean?
Each product has a life cycle, and during that time Microsoft releases new features, reinforces product safety and corrects errors.
In the case of standard Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, Office 2010 and Exchange server 2010 support systems have been under extended support with which they have received security updates to solve discovered vulnerabilities that endanger computers and servers. The consequence of this end of support next is:
- Technical support and help from Microsoft to solve errors and problems is over.
- No more security patches will arrive, leaving the team exposed to different risks and threats and, therefore, to the company.
As an important fact, in the last year more than 30 updates were released to solve vulnerabilities discovered in these products so, if no measures are taken, your company will be more defenseless against possible cybersecurity attacks on systems, databases and applications. Likewise, the lack of security can jeopardize compliance with audits.
What can companies do?
Microsoft makes the following options available to organizations to update these products:
Windows 7
Upgrade to Windows 10 Enterprise , the safest version of Windows to date, an operating system specially designed for companies to improve their security and productivity, covering more or less aspects depending on whether it is the Pro, Enterprise E3 or Enterprise E5 version .
Of all the versions we want to highlight the Enterprise E5 for being the one that offers maximum protection for your company by including Microsoft Defender ATP. If you want to know all the details of the different editions we invite you to consult this article: Security and control for your company with Windows 10
Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2
In this case Microsoft offers two possibilities:
- Migrate to Microsoft Azure: To benefit, in addition to all the advantages that Azure offers you, an additional 3 years of free security updates.
- On-premise update: To the current version Windows Server 2016, benefiting from the features of the version and maintaining the protection of your infrastructure until the end of support date.
Office 2010
Migrate to Office 365 to benefit from all the advantages of the cloud and the latest product innovations, creating new, more efficient forms of collaboration.
Exchange Server 2010
Migrate mailboxes to Office 365 and take advantage of the benefits of working in the cloud and its security features.
The current landscape forces companies to be protected against security threats and to be able to detect and respond quickly to them, so you cannot play it leaving your company undamaged and vulnerable. From Softeng, we are committed to provide solutions to our customers and offer them our experience in this area, advising and accompanying you throughout the update process.
Do you want to know how we can help you? Contact us!