Microsoft will stop supporting Windows 8.1 on Jan. 10, at which point the software maker says it will no longer offer point technical assistance and software updates for those systems.
Security teams at large enterprises by and large have had the end-of-life (EoL) for Windows 8.1 on their radar for some time: Microsoft’s intentions have been public for several months — and they officially ended support for Windows 7 in January 2020.
But there are a host of industries that security experts say will struggle with this most recent finale for Windows 8.1 support. In particular, small businesses, local governments, public schools, smaller commercial radio and television stations, all fall into the category of organizations that rely on specialized software and little to no budget to easily upgrade over to Windows 11 machines. Retail-hospitality, medical, and industrial-manufacturing companies will also have their challenges.
“Unfortunately, many businesses still…
