Businesses across the East Midlands are being warned about a cyber security ‘ticking timebomb’ which could potentially affect many companies in the region.
Nottinghamshire-based IT and cyber security specialists Your IT Department Ltd have warned that many businesses could be left vulnerable because they have not switched their operating systems to Microsoft Windows 11 or made alternative security arrangements.
Next month will see the end of free security updates for companies running Microsoft Windows 10 on their computers. It means that unless businesses switch their operating systems to Windows 11, or arrange extra security, they could be targeted by hackers.
A recent study* found that about 40% of business PCs and around half of consumer PCs still run on Windows 10. Of those, it’s likely that about a quarter will need to be replaced because they are not compatible with Windows 11.
Fern Ritchie, Security and Compliance Engineer at Your IT Department, said Microsoft will stop releasing security updates for Windows 10 from mid-October, leaving some systems exposed to new threats and viruses.
“It’s vital that businesses take action to avoid security risks when free support for Windows 10 comes to an end in a few weeks’ time,” said Fern. “It’s like a ticking timebomb which could have a huge impact on companies that don’t make the necessary adjustments.”
Fern added: “Some organisations are reluctant to upgrade because they think Windows 10 still works for them. But it will become an out-of-date operating system which is a prime target for cyber criminals. Hackers are just waiting to target those who are left vulnerable.”
Your IT is backing advice from the National Cyber Security Centre which urges users to prioritise migrating to Windows 11.** If upgrading means replacing hardware, businesses should consider it an opportunity to address security vulnerabilities rather than the nuisance of replacing old hardware.
* details of the Windows 10 study: https://www.windowscentral.com/microsoft/windows-11/half-of-windows-pcs-are-still-yet-to-upgrade-to-windows-11-and-are-running-out-of-time-says-study?utm_source=chatgpt.com.
** advice from the National Cyber Security Centre: https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/pdfs/blog-post/getting-your-organisation-ready-for-windows-11-upgrade-before-autumn-2025.pdf.
