Advice from NCSC on upgrading
The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is urging businesses to prepare for the fact that Windows 10 will no longer be supported from 14 October 2025.
If your business still uses Windows 10 on its computers, it’s time to start planning your next steps.
Why does this matter?
Once Windows 10 support ends, it won’t receive any more security updates. That means if hackers discover a weakness, they can use it to break into your systems – and there won’t be a fix. This is exactly what happened in the past with older versions of Windows, leading to major cyberattacks that caused chaos for businesses.
Why aren’t businesses upgrading?
One reason is that Windows 10 still feels modern. It still works well for many people and so it’s easy to forget it’s over 10 years old.
Another issue is that the newer version – Windows 11 – has stricter hardware requirements. In simple terms, many older computers can’t run it. If your devices don’t meet the minimum standards, you won’t be able to upgrade without replacing them.
Why upgrade?
If something’s working well for you then there’s no doubt that replacing it may seem an unnecessary hassle. There are some advantages to Windows 11 though that may make the effort and money worthwhile.
Windows 11 is designed to be much more secure from the start. It includes built-in features that help protect your business from viruses, hacking attempts, and stolen passwords – often without needing any extra effort from you.
What the NCSC recommends
Although there are still a few months before support for Windows 10 ends, NCSC is recommending that you start planning to move to Windows 11 as soon as possible.
This gives you time to review which computers may need replacing and make the switch without disruption to your business.
If you’re not sure where to start, speak to your IT provider or support team. The earlier you act, the smoother (and safer) the transition will be.
