This means Microsoft will no longer provide bug fixes for issues, security fixes for vulnerabilities, time zone updates, or technical support.
Computers in schools across the country will be vulnerable to cyber-attacks if users don’t upgrade to Windows 11 or take alternative security measures.
Jamie Hall, Senior General Manager - Partner Sales at Ingram Micro, says while devices may remain operational, unsupported devices will no longer receive security patches, leaving education networks exposed to threats.
An old PC in the library or a repurposed staffroom desktop still linked to the network can become a weak link in campus-wide security, he tells EducationHQ.
“While they’re still going to be usable, it ultimately means that those devices will be outside support,” Hall explains.
“The reason they’re doing this is because Microsoft has full-time groups of people and resources and expertise focused on keeping Windows 10 running and they’re ultimately shifting their resources to focus purely on Windows 11 and future operating system releases.”
Many schools still have legacy machines, from under-utilised labs and libraries to staffroom photocopier stations. These systems may not be in daily use, but remain connected, creating risk vectors across entire networks.
Australian schools should prepare by first auditing their devices to identify compatible hardware and incompatible ones, and then plan for hardware refreshes, upgrade eligible devices to Windows 11 using Microsoft’s tools, or purchase new Windows 11 PCs.
They should also budget for these changes, communicate the need for upgrades to their community, and potentially work with experts for a smooth transition to avoid security risks and compatibility issues.
Tech expert Jamie Hall says for many devices, there isn’t a really complicated path to upgrading them, however there are devices that won’t make the cut for Windows 11 because they are hardware specifications dependent.
Hall says generally there are two different types of updates – features and security – and if there aren’t the ongoing security patches and security-related releases coming out, that’s where things get a little bit tricky and scary.
“There’s probably two things. One is devices won’t be secure against the latest cyber security developments, threats, attacks, but it’s also that it could also stand your device out as a target,” he says.
“Right now, there are plenty of stories in the media about people or businesses or organisations that have been attacked. A lot of them are minding their own business, they’re not actually doing anything to draw attention to themselves, so having a device that is ultimately drawing attention to you really puts you and or your organisation – in this case your school – at even more of a risk.”
With just weeks left, education institutions risk being left dangerously exposed. Every school, Hall says, should be double checking and looking at exactly what they have very closely.
In terms of aligning infrastructure upgrades with broader digital transformation goals in learning environments, he suggests that it’s important to have a wider strategy.
“Having it woven together from a bigger picture perspective is super, super important,” he says.
“They’re so interconnected now. All of our technology overlays each other and it only takes one part to be vulnerable, to expose the rest. So it is important to have that overarching strategy. But I think there is a budget catch that means it doesn’t always come together.”
The good news from a device refresh perspective, Hall says, is while it used to be that the only real way to go was refreshing everything at once, which meant a ‘really, really big job to do’, times have changed.
“The great news is that most devices are now standardised on, say, USB-C, for example, which means that charging, docking, all of those parts are universal across multiple devices, multiple brands, which means that you can take more of a staged approach.
“You can really manage your spending and how you approach it in a lot more of a flexible way – so I think that will make life a lot easier for schools to be able to manage that.
“The wider strategy is really, really important because there’s all the other factors that come into play as soon as you start mixing technologies like support and how you’re going to manage that part and fleet management.”
Hall says for many devices, there isn’t a really complicated path to upgrading them, it’s just a matter of being aware and going through a few steps, however there are devices that won’t make the cut for Windows 11 because they are hardware specifications dependent.
Microsoft, from an individual point of view, have brought out what they call a 'PC health check', which is an app that’s freely available, but for fleets, there are several ways that you can do that that’s automated across the entire environment as well.
“I would always say, talk to your IT expert before diving into those tools. But you can also use the Microsoft co-pilot, which is free, and it will happily list them out for you, which is quite a cool place to start.”
Ultimately, when it comes to making the transition, Hall says don’t leave it til the last minute.
“There are a couple of reasons for that. One is supply and stock. We saw this during COVID, where everyone tried to buy a device at the same time. Prices went sky high because of demand. And the right device wasn’t necessarily what they landed on, and we’re still seeing the flow-on affect from that as a technology distributor, where people bought things because that was what was available.
“The second one is back up your data. That easy upgrade path from Windows 10 to 11, technically, and it didn’t disrupt my data, but I would always recommend you back up your data no matter what, if you lose it, it’s too late.”
And the last bit of advice Hall offers is if you are changing your device and you’re having to move off an old one, remember to recycle it.
“Do dispose of it through the right path, because then it doesn’t end up in landfill. And all of those other nuts come along with a lot of the technology that we consume.”
