Windows 10 security risks are now more of a reality for users
It appears more and more Windows 10 users may be finally ready to let go of the legacy operating system ahead of the end of its life status on October 14. Microsoft has been urging system users to update to the latest Windows 11 software before that date and after months of ignoring the call, tens of millions of users are now opting in to the update.
Figures from StatCounter indicate that the percentage of Windows 10 usage has now dipped below 60% for the first time with 58.7% of global users running the system as of February 2025. Meanwhile, stats for Windows 11 are slowly creeping up toward 40% with 38.2% of global users running this version of Microsoft's OS.
Notably, StatCounter doesn't account for exactly how users transition from one software version to another. Previous research has shown that businesses, in particular, were updating to Windows 11 when they replaced hardware, as opposed to upgrading systems from Windows 11– despite having PCs with the minimum requirements to upgrade to the latest operating system. Meanwhile, many companies are marketing desktops and laptops with desirable features, such as the Copilot + AI tool in addition to Windows 11.
The biggest challenge about Windows 10 reaching end of life is while Microsoft will no longer actively be developing the system it will also no longer be pushing security updates to devices running the system. This also stands to leave numerous devices vulnerable to cybersecurity threats.
Microsoft plans to offer Windows 10 users a 12-month security extension for $30 to maintain the operating system beyond the allotted time. Users will have to enroll to participate in the Extended Security Updates (ESU). That enrollment time will open closer to October 14.
Forbes pondered whether Microsoft can be successful at maintaining its strict directives pertaining to the Windows 10 end-of-life and its ESU timeline. However, the Verge previously noted that the company could be forced to provide free security updates for out-of-date software in extreme circumstances, such as defending against ransomware attacks. One such case happened in 2017 when an update had to be sent to the defunct Windows XP OS.
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