Microsoft ‘dangerous’ update warning: 65% of all Windows users should act now

You will have to get used to it. Windows users have just received a stark warning that they’re facing a “security fiasco” that’s “more dangerous” than anything we’ve seen before. This comes as some 800 million PC owners risk no longer receiving security updates on their PCs as Windows 10 enters end of life in October.

The latest warning comes from ESET and targets its German home market, but it’s the same everywhere: “65% of all devices in German homes,” it says, still run Windows 10. “It’s Five minutes to midnight to avoid security. fiasco for the year 2025. We strongly advise all users not to wait until October, but to immediately upgrade to Windows 11… Otherwise, users expose themselves to significant security risks and make themselves vulnerable to dangerous cyberattacks and data loss.

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Microsoft has confirmed that a one-year $30 extension will be available for Windows 10 home users, and businesses can extend this extension for longer at a steep cost. But despite this, the numbers are grim and heading in the wrong direction. We’ve now seen Windows 10 reverse the expected two-month trend and reclaim market share from its new sibling Windows 11. Alarmingly, it appears that at least some users are taking the support extension as a reason to cancel the release. upgrade.

ESET warns that businesses in particular “should plan for change as early as possible. Extending support is expensive. Simply operating the devices constitutes gross negligence. These outdated systems are particularly vulnerable to cyberattacks. In the worst cases, these computers are the starting point for data loss, espionage and ransomware attacks. In the event of a disaster, insurance companies can even refuse to regulate because the state of the art is not respected.”

The current Windows 10 debacle, according to ESET, “is more dangerous than the end of Windows 7 support in early 2020” given the numbers. The problem isn’t just a love of the familiar, a refusal to lose favorite features, or even nervousness over Windows 11 upgrade mishaps. The problem is the hardware and TPM obstacle that will prevent about 400 millions of PCs around the world to upgrade.

ESET warns that Windows 10 (and earlier) PCs “are more vulnerable to attacks, in addition to dangers such as data loss, espionage and costly ransomware attacks… Companies also risk violating applicable regulations by data protection, which can lead to legal consequences and a loss of trust among customers.

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Like I said, we have to get used to it. As October approaches, you can expect almost continuous warnings from the entire security industry. In the meantime, we’ll be watching the Windows 10 versus Windows 11 numbers with particular interest. Microsoft won’t want to see the new reverse trend continue or accelerate. The Windows 10 market share figures are already worrying enough.

You can also expect the constant problems within Windows 10 to continue as the entire Windows and cybersecurity ecosystem attempts to push a stubborn user base to finally make a move after years of reluctance and of inertia.