Windows 10 End of Life leaves about 400 MILLION computers vulnerable

New data suggests Windows 10 is still running on 41% of all PCs. That’s a sharp drop from the 46% market share at the end of September. But it’s too little too late. In 10 days, security updates will end.

That 41% equates to almost 600 million PCs. Of that, it is assumed up to 400 million cannot upgrade to Windows 11 given mandatory hardware hurdles. Older PCs without the right components can’t upgrade.

PIRG describes the scale of the impact here as “staggering,” and says it “can be traced to the popularity of Windows 10 and Microsoft’s decisions to impose strict hardware requirements in order to upgrade to Windows 11.

PIRG’s original focus was the e-waste of hundreds of millions of PCs rendered useless. Although enterprising secondary marketeers are pushing Linux and Chromebook OS alternatives for otherwise good-enough hardware for which Windows is closed.

PIRG echoes warnings from the cybersecurity community. “When there are no more updates, quickly-addressed exploits become open doors.” Which means “ransomware gangs and other malicious actors will be rubbing their hands in glee at the prospect of millions of unpatched – and unpatchable endpoints – after October 14,”

Enroll in the free ESU, which requires a Microsoft and a OneDrive account. Or accept the inevitable and upgrade to Windows 11. This has not proven a popular OS, and it has taken this deadline to move the needle on its install base. But it is what it is.

Don’t take the risk with your own PC and data security.

Source Forbes
Microsoft ‘Security Disaster’—400 Million Windows PCs Now At Risk