It is not just food, but also digital products such as programs, apps and devices which have an expiry date. If this is exceeded, updates no longer made available, and any potential vulnerabilities remain unresolved.
Every operating system, program or app has a lifecycle. This starts when the product is first published, and ends when a product is no longer supported, i.e. no longer updated.
The so-called support lifecycle decides whether software is secure or not. Once this ends, any potential vulnerabilities are no longer resolved with the help of security patches. This leaves a product vulnerable, and you should replace it with an alternative one as soon as you can. You should definitely no longer use any software once its lifecycle has expired.
For as long as you are aware of the relevant expiry dates of your products, you can then make well-founded decision whether to update, upgrade or replace your software. Manufacturers like Microsoft, Apple and Google regularly publish the dates support for their products ends.
Protect your devices and data by regularly checking how long your operating system, programs and apps are supported for – and make sure you replace obsolete software in good time.
Windows lifecycle information sheet
Further general information can be found here.
