PSA From Microsoft regarding end of support for Windows Servers 2003

reprinted from Complete Markets

We are working together with Microsoft to help educate the Insurance Industry about important issues surrounding end-of-life Microsoft products, online security and cyber-crime. The insurance industry is very Microsoft-centric. While end-users may be using iPads and other devices, most servers, server applications, desktops and laptops are powered by Microsoft.

In addition, we think that many of your clients would pay attention, if you, as their trusted insurance advisor, extended valuable information to them - information that affects their livelihood.

Please forward this on to your IT folks, and onward to your clients. We want to make sure individuals and small businesses are alerted to the risks. In the months ahead, we will be offering you more important content related to online and cyber security, that you could re-distribute to your clients, bringing them more value.

This notice is about Microsoft ending support for Windows Server 2003. This could impact small businesses significantly, leaving them exposed to elevated risk to cybersecurity dangers, and they may no longer be able to satisfy compliance requirements. An official Microsoft announcement is below, with links to the Department of Homeland Security's alert. There are also resources that businesses can use.

Thanks in advance for helping to raise cyber security awareness! 

An important message from Microsoft:

Windows Server 2003 extended support ends on July 14, 2015. Start planning now with help from Microsoft.

As a part of normal product lifecycles and to accommodate the shift towards modern technology and mobility, Microsoft will completely end support for Windows Server 2003 on July 14, 2015. Security patches and updates will no longer be available after this period. This Alert from the Department of Homeland Security indicates the seriousness of this event, and Microsoft encourages all businesses to carefully evaluate a migration plan.

Research from IDC confirms that businesses should thoughtfully consider using this moment as a starting point for the shift toward modern technology. "We think customers should take advantage of this deadline and see it as an opportunity not only to move forward to a newer version of Windows but also to modernize and prepare for the next generation of computers. Hybrid and public clouds are important components of next-generation IT."