Microsoft will discontinue free software updates for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025, creating elevated security risks for organizations that do not upgrade to Windows 11. While an Extended Security Updates program offers paid support until October 13, 2026, this mandates a forced migration or increased cybersecurity vulnerability for enterprises and institutions reliant on the operating system, necessitating IT planning and potential expenditure.
It’s the digital security training team at Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF), with security news that keeps you, your sources, and your devices safe. If someone shared this newsletter with you, please subscribe here. Microsoft to discontinue support for Windows 10 Microsoft is cautioning users that on Oct. 14, 2025, Windows will no longer give free software updates for Windows 10. This means elevated security risk for everyone using this operating system, unless they upgrade to Windows 11 or pay to receive additional security updates through Microsoft’s Extended Security Updates program, which will support updates through October 13, 2026. In other words, this will buy users another year before they will once again be forced to upgrade regardless. Read more. What you can do - Unfortunately, not all devices will support this newest version of Windows, but if you’re running Windows 10 and if your laptop supports Windows 11, now’s the time to upgrade. - Chances are that you can also run other operating systems on your device. Maybe 2025 is the year of Linux on desktop. I know some people have very strong feelings about this, but with so many versions of Linux out there, people might be a little intimidated about getting started. There are some meaningful advantages to free and open source software. not only because the price is right but because you really control how it works. Getting started somewhere is the most important thing, and don’t get too hung up on it, because a lot of how you use one Linux distribution is transferable to other versions as well. Check out this guide to learn more. - If you’re OK with Google and are looking for a user-friendly experience, ChromeOS Flex may also be a decent choice for a free alternative to Windows 10 that you can install on your old hardware. This has been a way for me to get more life out of an ancient MacBook that otherwise would have joined the big database in the sky. ChromeOS has a lot of compelling advantages for security, promising a decade of updates for recent devices. It’s also a relatively safe environment for opening suspicious files or for using as a travel computer before wiping the device. Check out Wired’s guide to learn how to set it up. Updates from our team - One of our senior digital security trainers, Davis Erin Anderson, is taking over the newsletter during the remainder of October. If you like scary stories, you’ll want to read her newsletters starting next week! - We’ve made some updates to our guide to smartphone security. It turns out Google no longer supports Android File Transfer, which was previously the official way to connect Android devices to MacBooks for making backups. We have a workaround though, so check out the guide. Our team is always ready to assist journalists with digital security concerns. Reach out here, and stay safe and secure out there. Best, Martin – Martin Shelton Deputy Director of Digital Security Freedom of the Press Foundation Microsoft's decision to terminate free security support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025, represents a significant catalyst for a mandatory IT upgrade cycle across enterprises and consumer markets. This policy effectively forces users to either migrate to Windows 11, which may necessitate new hardware, or pay for the Extended Security Updates (ESU) program, which provides a temporary reprieve until October 2026. This creates a dual revenue opportunity for Microsoft (MSFT), driving both OS licensing and a new, direct ESU revenue stream. The slightly negative sentiment score for MSFT (-0.2) likely reflects the coercive nature of the transition, but the financial implications are largely positive for the company. Conversely, the situation presents a tactical market share opportunity for Google (GOOGL), as the article highlights its ChromeOS Flex as a free, viable alternative for older hardware incapable of running Windows 11. The positive sentiment for Google (+0.3) underscores this potential to capture a segment of the market seeking to extend the life of their existing IT assets. The mention of Apple (AAPL) is purely anecdotal, with no material impact on its business outlook derived from this event, justifying its neutral sentiment score.
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