The end of support date for Windows Server 2003 will be July 14, 2015. This means that the operating system will no longer receive updates, security patches, technical support, software and content updates. It will also be prone to malicious infections. Do you operate off of one of the 12 million servers, as of July 2014, running this operating system?
Complications, As Seen Already
Like Windows XP, you will see a lot of support and software incompatibility issues. New hardware will not be supported, causing the operating system to not function as it is designed. New, more reliable features, will not be included and it will cause setbacks in productivity.
How Threats Can Infect
When security updates cannot be completed, there are holes left over – viruses, malware, spyware, and adware all look for holes to seep through. These threats have been known to crash servers, overload systems, and leave openings for information theft. It is advised that older systems run compatible antivirus and malware protection software, to assist with attack prevention.
Recommendations
In order to save yourself from major threats infecting your data, you should follow these steps:
- Complete all current updates that are needed.
- Install and/or update your internet security protection software
- Backup your information.
- Research a server system to upgrade to, ASAP.
You should be looking for an up-to-date system that carries the latest server operating system. This will ensure that you are ready to go for a number of years. On that note, make sure all of your other software is up to date. Taking a look at the full Support Lifecycle Index, by Microsoft, is a good starting point.
Finding yourself always updating your systems, or falling behind and not being productive? Get a head start and finally get the technology that you need. Give us a call or email us. Our Windows Server experts are here and ready to get you with the times.
