
Phishers and hackers can then exploit the security flaw, targeting those devices which they know will not have received the update. Computers, devices and laptops that receive the update are protected, but hackers can target users who are running older devices. products that have not reached their end of life. The updates are then pushed to every device that the company is still supporting, ie.


When a company like Microsoft or Apple finds a security flaw, news of this flaw is published, as is the update to fix it. When products or devices don’t receive updates, it means that they don’t receive security patches and fixes, and by extension are vulnerable to malware, viruses and targeted phishing attacks. Why does it matter if I don’t receive updates? Although both Microsoft and Apple products and devices will continue to be functional once they reach end of life, or vintage/obsolete, updates from Microsoft or Apple will end. They use the term ‘vintage’ to describe a device that will no longer receive updates, and the term ‘obsolete’ to describe devices that won’t be possible to repair. This isn’t just a Windows thing Apple devices and products also have a support lifetime. ‘End of life’ is a phrase used by Windows to indicate to users that the device or product is no longer being supported by Microsoft. After that support lifetime is over, the product or device reaches end of life.

Here’s everything you need to know about end of life for Windows, and why it matters.Įvery Windows product and device has a support lifetime, which is the amount of time that Microsoft will continue issuing updates, fixes and security patches to that device. Using a server, device or product past its end of life isn’t just a bad idea, it can put your business at risk. If your company uses a Windows device or product, you need to know about ‘end of life’.
