As of October 2025, Microsoft has officially ended support for its Defender security features in Windows 10. Though Windows 10 itself remains active and will do so seemingly indefinitely, this move introduces serious security concerns that every business needs to take into account. Actions are needed to ensure safety and reliability going forward, but the best course of action can vary wildly depending on computer setup, business size, and financial means.
On this page we’ll break down the different key choices, their strengths and weaknesses, and what they’ll require on your part. As tempting as it might be to put these off, security in business computing is a process best approached proactively, for your confidence in the safety of your systems in the future.
Upgrading to Windows 11
The first choice business owners should consider when looking to address the lack of Windows 10 security support is simply upgrading to Windows 11. This is a free process in many cases, and it ensures your computers will have access to full Windows 11 Defender software suite. The only potential problem with this approach is that Windows 11 installs aren’t compatible with all hardware configurations.
In technical terms, computer hardware needs to support something called TPM 2.0 for Windows 11 to be operable. Not all computers have this support, which means many are locked out at the motherboard level. Fortunately, Microsoft supports a tool called the PC Health Check App which determines if a system is Windows 11-compatible.
If it is, you can be confident that an update to Windows 11 will process normally.
If you do select this route, it’s important to first check that all of your included programs are equally as compatible with Windows 11 as they are with Windows 10. Most modern programs can manage this transfer without issue, but there can be exceptions with legacy programs originally built for even older operating systems. If you’re unsure, it can be best to upgrade a single business computer first, and check if all of your older programs are supported, and to find out which steps might need to be undertaken to make them compatible.
Purchasing a New Computer Network
If your computer systems aren’t compatible with a Windows 11 update, then a full-scale purchase of new computer systems is worth considering. This is especially the case if your older work computers have already had their operating systems updated before, at which point they may be growing bloated and slow. Upgrading an entire system can get you systems with Windows 11 already installed, providing a fresh range of platforms whereupon all employees may start on even footing.
Note that this choice also means you’ll have to source a way to transfer all of your files and programs onto new storage drives, which can take some time. You might also need new versions of computer programs like POS systems, so again a test run to learn what is required and the steps you need to learn before a move is best.
Purchasing new systems also gives you the chance to make a little money back on selling the older ones. While older business computers usually aren’t suited to demanding tasks, they can still work well with more efficient kinds of digital entertainment. Playing around on online casino slots and websites is a perfect example, which many people are happy to use ageing computers for. Titles like Straight Cash and Bee Keeper are designed to be compatible across older and less powerful smartphones in addition to all of the newer models, so they will work perfectly on defunct business computers just the same. The same is true for many social media and video streaming platforms, so they’re worth trying to sell.
Adopting Third-Party Security Measures
The final approach that can be viable for many users is to just purchase a different kind of security software for your device. Even if Windows 10 Defender is no longer active, updated systems from companies other than Microsoft can offer similar levels of protection. These will ensure your devices keep operating reliably, though you might have to purchase subscriptions and learn some new practices depending on the software suite you adopt.
What Comes Next?
Regardless of your approach, you will eventually have to upgrade to a new operating system. When and how you do this is up to you, though it can be helpful to time your update to when you can expect the largest gap before another tech overhaul is required.
Windows operating systems have tended to continue receiving support for around 10 years each, which means support for Windows 11 might be expected to last until 2031. However, it’s important to note that Windows 11 might turn into more of an evolving service as it becomes increasingly popular, so there’s no telling if older patterns will hold.
If you have other choices, and you don’t yet want to make the shift, it may pay to keep an eye on Windows news. This way, when an upgrade becomes all the more unavoidable, you can make a decision that will suit your needs for as long into the future as possible.
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