This month Microsoft has announced that they will be withdrawing support for 3 of their most commonly used products in January 2020. That's not long!
But don't panic! CNC are here to help. We will be working with all affected customers to ensure a smooth transition to a replacement or upgraded product.
The products involved are:
Microsoft Windows 7
Windows Server 2008
Exchange 2010
If your business uses any of these products you will need to start preparing for their retirement and upgrade as soon as possible.
Don't panic! We are here to help you! Over the next few months we will be working with all our clients who we know to be using these products, to ensure a smooth transition to upgraded, fully supported products.
These three products have been in use for about 10 years. Windows 7 was originally released in July 2009, Windows Server 2008 in February 2008 and Exchange 2010 in May 2009. So, in the constantly changing world of computing, it is not surprising that they need to be replaced wth more up-to-date software.
Why You Need to Replace or Upgrade
Currently, these platforms are in extended support. This means that they continue to receive regular updates. These updates are designed to address specific security issues, such as weaknesses in security or exploitation by rogue code.
After January 14th these updates will no longer be available.
If you continue to use these products after support has been withdrawn, your business will become vulnerable in 3 areas:
Cyber Crime
With no security updates being installed your business is open to exploitation by viruses, Malware or other rogue software.
Applications - Support Removed
It is highly likely that application software vendors will no longer provide support for their applications on these older platforms. This may leave you with systems that cannot be fixed if they fail, leading to extended downtime and the resulting costs to your business.
Breach of Regulations
You could find yourself in breach of your regulatory compliance requirements.
These include:
Your Cyber Insurance
PCI for financial transactions
ISO 27001
Cyber Essentials
Over the next few months CNC will be working with all our customers to make them aware of these important changes. Now is the time to start planning and budgeting for this change.
If you're not sure whether your business is affected by these changes, or you would like some more information, give us a call on 01273 384100 or email us at sales@cnc-ltd.co.uk |