Say Goodbye To Windows 10 To Reduce Your Cyber Risk

Summary
As The Sun Sets On Windows 10, Windows 11 Shows Its Benefits
- If You’re Staying With A Windows OS, Windows 11 Is An Imperative
- Hardware Support Requirements Focus On Security More Than Performance
- Windows 11 Continues To Receive New Security Features
Application Delivery Methods Have Changed The Endpoint Requirements
- Maintain Existing Hardware And Replace The Local Operating System With Linux
- Put Your Invested Desktop Hardware On A Diet And Go With A Thin-Client Option
- BYOD Use Cases Grow With A Shift To Web And SaaS Applications
Windows 10, Ride Or Die!
- Purchase Windows 10 Extended Security Updates Options For The Necessary Desktops
- Reduce The Attack Footprint And Blast Radius Of Unsupported Windows 10 Assets
- Virtualize Windows 10 To Continue To Support Incompatible Applications In The Short Term
Planning For The Future
- Track OS Lifecycles From Install To Retirement Within Your Enterprise
- Application Lifecycle Management Is Just As Important As The OS
- Cross Team Collaboration Is Needed To Ensure Migrations Stay On Track
- Just Because You Went BYOD Doesn’t Mean You Get To Ignore OS Lifecycles
Supplemental Material
- Companies We Interviewed For This Report

Summary

On October 14, 2025, Microsoft will officially end mainstream support for Windows 10. Customers will be required to either purchase Microsoft’s Extended Security Updates (ESU) for their Windows 10 assets; move to Windows 11 or another OS; take a different approach to providing application and data access to users such as thin-client with virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), bring your own device (BYOD), or browser-only access; or secure existing Windows 10 assets in a manner that will reduce the risk of compromise on these unsupported desktops. This report will provide guidance to assist IT and security decision-makers in making informed decisions about handling the end of Windows 10.

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