You will need to get used to this. Windows users have just been issued a stark warning that they face a “security fiasco” that’s “more dangerous” than any we’ve seen before. This comes as some 800 million PC owners are risking an end to security updates on their PCs, as Windows 10 flips into end-of-life in October.
The latest warning comes from ESET and is targeted at its German home market —but the same is true everywhere: “65 percent of all devices in German households,” it says, still run Windows 10. “It’s five to midnight to avoid a security fiasco for the year 2025. We strongly advise all users not to wait until October, but to immediately switch to Windows 11… Otherwise, users expose themselves to significant security risks and make themselves vulnerable to dangerous cyber attacks and data loss.”
Microsoft has confirmed a $30 one-year extension will be available to Windows 10 home holdouts, and enterprises can extend for longer at a steep cost. But even so, the numbers are stark and heading in the wrong direction. We have now seen two months of Windows 10 reversing the expected trend and recovering market share against its newer Windows 11 sibling. Alarmingly, it looks like some users at least are taking the support extension as a reason to un-upgrade.
ESET warns that enterprises in particular “should plan the changeover early. An extension of support is costly. Simply running the devices is grossly negligent. Especially these outdated systems are more vulnerable to cyber attacks. In the worst case, these computers are the starting point for data loss, spying and ransomware attacks. In the event of a claim, insurance companies can even refuse to regulate because the state of the art has not been adhered to.”
The current Windows 10 debacle, ESET says, “is more dangerous than the end of support for Windows 7 at the beginning of 2020” given the numbers. The issue is not just love of the familiar, a pushback on losing preferred features or even nervousness prompted by Windows 11 upgrade mishaps. The issue is hardware and the TPM hurdle that will stop around 400 million PCs globally from ever upgrading.
ESET warns that Windows 10 (and older) PCs “are more vulnerable to attacks—in addition to dangers such as data loss, espionage and costly ransomware attacks… Companies also risk violations of applicable data protection regulations, which can lead to legal consequences and a loss of trust among customers.”
As I said, we need to get used to this. You can expect almost continual warnings from across the security industry as October approaches. Meantime, we will monitor the Windows 10 versus Windows 11 numbers with particular interest. Microsoft will not want to see the new reversed trend continue or accelerate. The Windows 10 market share numbers are already worrying enough.
You can also expect the constant nags within Windows 10 to continue as the entire Windows and cybersecurity ecosystem tries to push a stubborn users base to finally move after years of reluctance and inertia.
