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On October 14, 2025, Windows 10 will reach its End of Life (EOL). After that day, Microsoft will stop releasing critical security updates, fixes, and patches. In other words, the moment the clock runs out, your business will be running on an operating system with known vulnerabilities, no safety net, and zero protection from the next cyber attack. Think about that for a second.
If you do not have a plan, your business is completely exposed. No backup. No defence. Just a wide-open door for cyber criminals to walk through. You might think your Windows setup is fine because everything still works, but that false sense of comfort is exactly what makes unsupported systems so dangerous. Hackers don’t care that it’s familiar or “still running.” They care that it’s unpatched, they care that it’s predictable, and they are ready to exploit it, now.
These are not "potential" threats: they are guaranteed, unavoidable, and well-known weaknesses that cyber criminals are actively building tools to exploit. The second Microsoft stops patching them, your business becomes an open target.
As a Senior Solution Specialist at Babble with over a decade of experience, I’ve successfully led countless organisations through smooth, secure operating system transitions. From strategic planning to execution, I’ve helped businesses minimise disruption. I have seen what happens when businesses don't act in time (and it isn't pretty).
In this article, you'll learn about the biggest risks of running Windows EOL systems, what those risks look like and what you can do today to start protecting your business.
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What This Blog Covers:
- Running Windows 10 After EOL Will Expose Your Business to Known Vulnerabilities
- You’ll Be Alone When Something Goes Wrong
- The Cost of Waiting Is Far Higher Than the Cost of Migrating
- The Clock Is Ticking: You Still Have Time - But Not Much
Running Windows 10 After EOL Will Expose Your Business to Known Vulnerabilities
According to StatCounter, as of May 2025, Windows 10 accounts for 53.2% of the global desktop Operating System market share. And if you're a UK small or mid-sized business, chances are, you're one of them. End of support doesn’t just mean the operating system stops getting new features. It means it stops receiving security updates entirely. Any new vulnerabilities discovered after October 14 will go unpatched permanently. These vulnerabilities don’t stay hidden for long. Hackers track them obsessively. They build custom exploit kits specifically for unsupported operating systems and automate their delivery to thousands of targets at once. That means each passing day creates more open windows for attackers to climb through.
Cyber criminals track these lifecycles. The moment Microsoft drops support, cyber criminals are ready to ramp up their efforts, knowing businesses are slow to upgrade. They scan networks looking for unpatched systems. It only takes one employee clicking a phishing email or using an infected USB for attackers to get in. And with no patches coming, they stay in, quietly harvesting data or locking down systems with ransomware.
Cyber Criminals Know You’re still on Windows 10 and they’re Already Targeting You
You might think your business is too small, too obscure, or too secure to be targeted. Unsupported systems are low-hanging fruit. They are predictable, they're vulnerable, and they're everywhere. Cyber criminals actively hunt SMBs running outdated software because they know most do not have a robust IT defence. Many businesses assume they're safe because they have antivirus software or a firewall in place.
But here's the reality: most modern attacks aren't personal. They are automated.
The truth is that cyber criminals actively prepare for moments like this. They know when systems go unsupported. They rehearse how to get in, and the moment your operating system stops receiving updates, they strike. The most dangerous part? Attackers can blend in with legitimate users once inside. They will look and act like they belong in your system. That's where the true damage happens.
Windows 10 EOL Puts Your Compliance At Risk
If your organisation falls under regulatory compliance frameworks like GDPR, Cyber Essentials, ISO27001, or PCI-DSS, continuing to use Windows 10 past EOL puts you immediately out of compliance. Regulators won’t care that “you meant to upgrade.” They’ll care that you chose to run software you knew was unsupported.
Even worse, your cyber insurance provider may take the same view. More and more insurers are starting to deny coverage for breaches that involve unsupported operating systems. You could be left covering the cost of ransomware recovery, customer compensation, and legal exposure entirely out of pocket.
You’ll Be Alone When Something Goes Wrong
You might be thinking everything is working perfectly fine, but what happens when it doesn’t? Who do you call? Hardware changes. Software updates. Integrations evolve. Compatibility issues will surface, and there will be no path forward on an outdated OS. After EOL, if something breaks, Microsoft won’t help you. All third-party vendors will also be limited in the amount of support they can offer your business.
Microsoft offers Extended Security Updates (ESUs) for businesses that delay upgrading. While this is an option, this is not a strategy: it’s a stall tactic. ESUs aren’t a solution, they’re a last resort. You still don’t get software updates. You still don’t get support. You’re just buying time, and at a high cost. These updates will cost around £48 per device in year one, £96 in year two, and £192 in year three. And there’s no skipping ahead, if you wait until year two or three to enrol, you’ll still need to pay cumulatively for all previous years. ESUs are billed annually and are only available for one year at a time, starting November 2025.
Sticking with ESUs leaves your business stuck between outdated systems and unsupported tools, with the same security risks still looming. Delaying your migration doesn’t just increase your risk, it also escalates your costs significantly. For SMBs with a large number of devices, Microsoft’s Extended Security Updates (ESUs) represent a costly trap.
The Cost of Waiting Is Far Higher Than the Cost of Migrating
Yes, planning a migration takes time. But time is exactly what you lose control of the moment you delay. Every month you push the decision down the road, the cost of inaction rises and the consequences multiply.
When you plan ahead, you move on your terms. You control the timeline, manage downtime, allocate budget, and test before go-live. The result? A clean, structured transition, low stress, minimal disruption. But when you don’t, everything shifts. You’re no longer in control. You’re reacting under pressure, dealing with outages, ransomware, data loss, and customer fallout, all at once.
I’ve worked with both kinds of businesses. The ones who plan early move smoothly. And the ones who don’t? They call after the damage is done. They thought antivirus was enough. They believed unsupported software wasn’t urgent. Until it was. I’ve seen ransomware grind entire operations to a halt. I’ve seen businesses go offline for days, and some never recover because they waited too long.
Here’s the truth: once Windows 10 reaches End of Life, that belief becomes a threat. And when it comes to cyber attacks, it’s no longer a question of if, it’s when. You’re not just delaying an upgrade. You’re gambling with your business’s future and giving attackers the time and space to strike.
The Clock Is Ticking: You Still Have Time - But Not Much
October 14, 2025, will be here faster than you think. And if you wait until the last minute, you won’t have options, you’ll have damage control. The businesses that act early will be fine. Those who delay will be hoping nothing goes wrong until it does.
So, what should you do? Start by understanding what’s at stake. This is your chance to take control. Take this opportunity to get ahead of the threat.
- Audit all your devices and identify all still on Windows 10
- Talk to your IT team or a trusted partner about timelines and readiness
- Start planning your migration now, while you still have time to do it on your terms
This is about more than compliance. More than patching. This is about protecting your entire business from preventable collapse. Your business today isn’t the same one that installed Windows 10 in 2015. Your technology shouldn’t be either. Use this as an opportunity to move toward a more modern, secure, and future-ready setup.
