The Oklahoma Bar Journal August 2025

L aw P ractice T ips

Outdated and at Risk: Why Lawyers Must Move Beyond Windows 10 Now

By Julie Bays

T HE COUNTDOWN IS ON for legal professionals rely ing on outdated technology. Law firms have just over two months left before Microsoft officially ends support for Windows 10 on Oct. 14. That date marks the end of security updates and patches for one of the most widely used oper ating systems in the legal profes sion. If your office is still running Windows 10, especially on older machines that can't be upgraded to Windows 11, then now is the time to act. Continuing to use unsup ported systems after the deadline poses serious risks to client confi dentiality, cybersecurity compli ance and ethical obligations. On Oct. 14, Microsoft will cease to provide all forms of support for Windows 10, including critical security updates, regular patches and even technical assistance. 1 While your computer may appear to run as usual after this date, beneath the surface, it will be increasingly vulnerable to cyber threats. Any new security flaws discovered by hackers will go unad dressed, leaving your system – and, by extension, your clients’ sensitive data – at significant risk. WHAT ‘END OF SUPPORT’ REALLY MEANS

The consequences are not hypo thetical. When Windows 7 and XP reached their end-of-support dates, cybercriminals wasted no time exploiting well-known vulnerabil ities that were left unpatched. 2 For example, the infamous WannaCry ransomware attack in 2017 spread rapidly through organizations that had failed to update from unsup ported systems, causing widespread disruption and financial losses in both the private and public sectors. 3 Law firms are prime targets for hackers due to the confiden tial, high-value information they manage. Outdated infrastruc ture opens the door to a range of attacks; malware infections, ran somware, data breaches and unau thorized access can all occur more easily when an operating system is no longer being actively secured. Even with antivirus software and firewalls in place, unsupported systems become the weakest link in your cybersecurity chain. The end of support for Windows 10 represents a hard stop, not a gentle fade-out. Continuing to use these systems after Oct. 14 is not just a technical or operational decision; this matter directly impacts your firm’s ability to safeguard client data, comply with professional

standards and avoid costly security incidents.

THE ETHICAL AND COMPLIANCE RISKS Beyond the technical concerns, the continued use of unsupported software raises ethical red flags. Rule 1.1 of the Oklahoma Rules of Professional Conduct requires lawyers to maintain competence, which includes understanding the “benefits and risks associated with relevant technology.” 4 The duty of confidentiality under Rule 1.6 also compels attorneys to take reasonable steps to protect client information. 5 If a law firm gets hit with a data breach because they were rely ing on outdated tech, they could face disciplinary action, lose their clients’ trust and even get sued for not preventing a foreseeable risk. THE WINDOWS 11 HARDWARE ROADBLOCK Unfortunately, upgrading isn’t always as simple as clicking “update.” Windows 11 has strict hardware requirements, includ ing support for TPM 2.0 (trusted platform module) and newer generation processors. 6 Many older computers don’t meet these

70 | AUGUST 2025

THE OKLAHOMA BAR JOURNAL