The other Microsoft Products reaching End-Of-Life this October (and what to do!)

With all the focus on Windows 10 ending service on 14th October this year, it’s understandable that most people are paying little to no attention to the long list of other Microsoft products which are also winding up on the same day. In fact, October 14th is shaping up to be an extinction-level event for a lot of older Microsoft products, and it’s likely that many businesses (especially small businesses) are going to end up with unsupported products on their systems on October 15th. Unfortunately, bad actors know this all too well and are primed to take advantage!

Products ending support

So here’s the list - much less in the news, but also ending support are:

• Access 2016
• Access 2019
• Dynamics 365 Business Central on-premises (Fixed Policy)
• Excel 2016
• Excel 2019
• Exchange Server 2016
• Exchange Server 2019
• Microsoft Office 2016
• Microsoft Office 2019
• Microsoft Report Viewer 2015 Runtime
• OneNote 2016
• Outlook 2016
• Outlook 2019
• PowerPoint 2016
• PowerPoint 2019
• Project 2016
• Project 2019
• Publisher 2016
• Publisher 2019
• Skype for Business 2016
• Skype for Business 2019
• Skype for Business Server 2015
• Skype for Business Server 2019
• Visio 2016
• Visio 2019
• Visual Studio 2015
• Visual Studio Team Foundation Server 2015
• Windows 10 2015 LTSB
• Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSB 2015
• Windows 10 Team (Surface Hub)
• Windows Defender Exploit Guard
• Windows Defender for Windows 10
• Windows Server 2012, Extended Security Update Year 2
• Windows Server 2012 R2, Extended Security Update Year 2
• Word 2016
• Word 2019

Do I really Need To Upgrade?

In short, yes, you do. When software reaches its official end of support, it no longer receives security updates, bug fixes, or technical assistance from the vendor, in this case, Microsoft. While the application will usually continue to function, using unsupported software introduces significant risk. Vulnerabilities in end-of-life software are no longer patched, making it an easy target for threat actors who actively scan for known exploits, and believe you me, they are scanning. Failing to keep your software up to date jeopardises operational continuity and can also put personal data, intellectual property, and connected systems at risk.

From a compliance standpoint, continuing to run unsupported software may also mean falling out of alignment with industry standards and could even cost you a hard-won certification. ISO/IEC 27001, the globally recognised standard for information security management, expects organisations to maintain secure configurations and apply vendor-recommended updates as part of their risk treatment plans. Similarly, the UK’s Cyber Essentials scheme explicitly requires supported software to be used wherever possible. Even outside of formal certification, NCSC best practice guidance strongly advises that unsupported software be removed or replaced.

Ultimately, failing to upgrade in time can have cascading consequences—not just in terms of cyber risk, but also with respect to contractual obligations, insurance coverage, legal consequences, data breach fines and regulatory reporting in the event of an incident.

Although it’s yet another cost, it is time to find a replacement if you’re relying on any of the above.

Recommended replacements table

Here’s a quick round-up of some upgrade options which are worth considering - for the most part, there’s a newer version or edition to migrate to, but some users might find themselves needing to look beyond Microsoft for solutions (sorry Publisher fans!). Please note that this list contains general suggestions and might not be applicable for all use cases. Hopefully, though, it’s a start!