Microsoft announced that the end of support for Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2 will occur October 10th, 2023. Learn about what this means and how you can prepare to stay on top of data security and your technology.
Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2 End of Life
Microsoft recently announced that they will discontinue support for Windows Server 2012 and Windows Server 2012 R2. Although Microsoft is aware that their server platforms are trusted to run critical applications for your and many other businesses, support for older versions needs to come to an end at some point. In this case, support for these versions of Windows Server will no longer be available after October 10, 2023.
What Does End of Life Mean?
End of support for both Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2 means that Microsoft will no longer release non-security updates, bug fixes, or security updates, and will no longer provide technical support or online technical content updates for these products. The reason this is a big deal is that any security vulnerabilities found after October 10th will never be patched in an update from Microsoft. This means any information or critical business data stored on servers running Windows 2012 or 2012 R2 has a higher potential of being breached by a malicious party.
Where Do You Go from Here?
If you’re currently running Windows Server 2012 or Windows Server 2012 R2, it’s recommended to upgrade to a newer version of Windows Server and migrate your data over before October 10th. Microsoft recommends migrating to Azure virtual machines if you don’t need an on-premises server, and is even offering extended security updates for three years after the end of support if you do migrate this way. If you require on-premises servers, then upgrading to Windows Server 2022 is a viable option. Windows Server 2022 has many new features including multi-layer security, hybrid capabilities, and much more.
If you’re unsure of migrating to either of those options, Microsoft is also offering the purchase of an Extended Security Update for Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2 which will buy you three more years’ worth of security updates after support ends to make a decision. Feel free to reach out to Rhyme’s Managed IT team to learn more about migrating to a new server and what options you have.
Source(s): Microsoft | Microsoft Blogs