End of Support is quickly approaching for Microsoft’s Windows Server 2008 (and 2008 R2), officially ending on January 14, 2020. When January 14 arrives, Microsoft will end official support with Windows Server 2008, meaning there will no longer be security patches or bug fixes. With the lack of updates and security patches, Windows Server 2008 will become a sitting duck for bad actors to catch up to and establish serious exploits with. End of Support will cause Windows Server 2008 to become a major security and management issue as it falls behind newer security policies.
During Windows Server 2008’s support period, security patches were constantly pushed out to address new vulnerabilities and breaches in the software. With End of Support however, the lack of security patches exposes Windows Server 2008 and its applications to a growing amount of exploits. In addition to Windows Server 2008 becoming a personal and business risk after End of Support, it will also become a regulatory and legal compliance risk. Due to data protection laws, continuing to run Windows Sever 2008 will eventually lead to monetary penalties and fines due to non-compliance with cybersecurity standards.
Due to End of Support quickly approaching for Windows Server 2008, it’s recommended to begin migration of your data as soon as possible. Although the migration of server data can be tenuous, migrating to a supported platform is more beneficial for data security in the long run. However, if you are unable to migrate data before the deadline in January, Microsoft is offering a method to extend security updates for a few more years. By shifting your Windows Sever 2008 onto Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform, Microsoft will extend free security updates for three more years. This may allow you to sort out any issues or costs with migrating your Windows Server 2008 if you are unable to reach the deadline. Regardless of extended period methods, you should be considering how to migrate off of Windows Server 2008 now in order to protect your company and your data from bad actors preparing for End of Support.
