ATTENTION BUSINESS OWNERS & IT LEADERS:
Effective today, October 14, 2025, Microsoft has officially ended support for Windows 10.
If your business is still running Windows 10 on any workstation, your systems are now exposed to severe, unmitigated security risks.
What This Means for Your Business
The official End-of-Life (EOL) for Windows 10 has eliminated vital protection:
- Zero New Security Updates: Your workstations will no longer receive critical security patches from Microsoft. Any newly discovered vulnerabilities—including those that facilitate ransomware and data breaches—will go unaddressed.
- Immediate Security Risk: Every Windows 10 system is now a massive liability, creating a significant security gap in your network.
- Compliance Failure (HIPAA/etc.): For healthcare entities, running unsupported software is a direct failure to implement appropriate safeguards. This puts you in violation of the HIPAA Security Rule, increasing your liability for severe fines and corrective actions in the event of a breach.
IMMEDIATE RISK: HIPAA NON-COMPLIANCE
For businesses in healthcare or those handling Personally Identifiable Information (PHI) or Electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI), running EOL software is a direct threat to compliance.
- Violating the HIPAA Security Rule: This directly compromises the confidentiality and integrity of ePHI by not patching known vulnerabilities. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) views failure to update as a potential HIPAA violation.
- Failing Risk Assessments: EOL systems inherently introduce unmitigated risks, making it impossible to pass mandatory HIPAA risk analyses and putting you at risk for significant fines.
- Direct Liability in Breaches: A data breach on an EOL system is often viewed by HIPAA enforcers (OCR) as a direct failure to implement appropriate safeguards, leading to severe penalties and mandatory corrective actions.
Proactive HIPAA Compliance Measures:
- Inventory all systems running Windows 10.
- Create a documented plan to migrate all systems to Windows 11 well in advance of the October 14, 2025 deadline.
- Document your migration plan as part of your overall risk assessment strategy.
Windows Server 2022: Next On Deck
While Windows Server 2022 mainstream support is scheduled to end on October 13, 2026, proactive planning for migration must begin immediately. We must first address the immediate Windows 10 crisis.
Immediate Action with MAXtech Agency
This is no longer a planning exercise—it is a crisis mitigation scenario. MAXtech Agency is ready to deploy our resources immediately to secure your environment and plan your migration.
We’re Here to Help
- System Assessment: Immediately inventory and assess all remaining Windows 10 systems and the severity of your exposure.
- Migration & Mitigation Plan: Develop and execute a rapid migration plan to move you to Windows 11 to re-establish a secure environment.
- Ensure Compliance: For regulated businesses, we will provide documented assurance of your path back to security compliance.
Do not delay. Every hour your business operates on unsupported Windows 10 exposes you to an exponentially higher risk of a crippling cyberattack.
Contact us NOW to get the help with your business IT needs.
Call us at 614-401-8800 or visit our contact page: https://maxtechagency.com/contact/