Windows Server 2012 End of Support Coming in October
Microsoft made the announcement on January 4th, 2023 that they will end support for Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 RS on October 10th, 2023. This comes as no surprise since Windows Server 2012 is now over 10 years old. If your business uses either of these services it is now time to take the next steps towards upgrading.
What Does End of Support Mean for Your Business?
When a software reaches a certain age and has been replaced by newer versions, the company who created it will often end support of the product. This is done to free up server utilization for newer products and devote less resources toward patching, supporting and maintaining an outdated service.
Microsoft is doing this with Windows Server 2012, which can mean a couple of things if your business uses it. After October 10th, there will be no technical support, critical security updates, or patches to fix any bugs or flaws in the software. This means that using Windows Server 2012 after its expiration date will result in increased security risk, and potential compliance issue for your organization.
To be considered compliant by CMMC or other regulatory body standards, an organization needs to operating on the most secure version of an application. If it is found you are handling sensitive information on an outdated service it could lead to a breach in contract. Your organization needs to upgrade now before the deadline in October.
What Should You Do?
October may seem like its far off, but its a lot closer than you think. Your organization must make the switch now to avoid falling behind. Unfortunately, upgrading isn't always the easiest or most convenient process. You will need to make sure your IT staff and whoever will use the software is trained to do so. You also need plan out the deployment of whatever software you upgrade to. Who needs access? How does it need to be configured?
These are all things that need to be addressed before you start using the new service. In terms of upgrades, Windows Server 2019 and above should be adequate for your organization. Whatever you choose, make sure that your employees know how to use the tools that will protect your data.
Next Steps
If you believe your organization can handle the task of migrating your IT systems, then great! However, if your IT staff is too small or you feel overwhelmed then CorpInfoTech is ready to help. We offer a managed service solution that can upgrade your systems in a way that meets your industries requirements.
Whether its moving on from Windows Server 12, or migrating to another platform entirely, contact us today to see how we can help you upgrade your security.
CorpInfoTech (Corporate Information Technologies) provides small to mid-market organizations with expert I.T. services including compliance assessment, cybersecurity penetration tests, and comprehensive business continuity planning services. CorpInfoTech can help organizations, quantify, create, refine, and mitigate the risks presented by business threatening disasters in whatever form they may be disguised.
