What Windows 10 end of support means for OT environments

When Microsoft ended support for mainstream Windows 10 in October 2025, there was panic in many industries. Fearing that Windows 10 would be unprotected and therefore exposed to cyberthreats, organizations raced to migrate to Windows 11.

But in operational technology (OT) environments, that narrative is a little misleading. Upgrading prematurely can introduce far greater operational risk than staying on a well-controlled Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) platform.

The fact is that most OT systems do not run on standard Windows 10. They run on Windows 10 LTSC or Windows Server, both of which remain supported for years to come:

• Windows 10 LTSC 2019 until January 2029
• Windows 10 LTSC 2021 until January 2032
• Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC beyond 2032
• Windows Server 2016/2019/2022 through 2027–2036

So, Windows 10 is not necessarily suddenly unsafe for OT environments, but organizations do need to know where they are running it in their OT operations.

Virtual conference

Protecting OT Systems After Windows 10 End of Support

Understanding the technical reality of an IT environment is critical.

HMI and engineering workstations typically run on Windows 10 LTSC to ensure long-term stability, predictable patching and vendor certification.

Historians, SCADA backends and control servers almost always run on Windows Server, not Windows 10.

Embedded panels and specialized OEM equipment often use Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC locked to a specific hardware and validation baseline.

That architecture is intentional. OT environments are designed around stability over change, not rapid OS upgrades.

The October 2025 deadline for end of support applies to standard Windows 10 Semi-Annual Channel (SAC) versions. Those typically exist in IT, not OT industrial systems.

For LTSC-based OT environments, the impact of Windows 10 end of support is strategic rather than immediate:

• The long migration runway has officially started.
• Vendor certification cycles are shifting toward newer LTSC and Windows 11.
• Driver availability for legacy hardware will steadily decline.
• Security debt accumulates as platforms age, even while still supported.

But manufacturers running supported LTSC platforms still face growing pressure from regulations and insurers.

Regulatory and insurance frameworks assume restricted patching in OT environments, long validation cycles and the necessity of compensating controls.

Examples include:

• NIS2 requires demonstrable cybersecurity risk mitigation.
• IEC 62443 requires patching or documented equivalent protections.
• FDA 21 CFR Part 11 (in pharmaceuticals) requires validated system integrity.
• NERC CIP (in energy) requires secure baseline control and recovery assurance.

Now, before granting policies, cyber insurers are increasingly asking IT operations:

• How fast can you recover OT systems?
• Can ransomware permanently brick production assets?
• Are unsupported drivers or frozen images creating systemic exposure?

The discussion is no longer simply, “Are you patched?” but instead, “Can you recover safely, repeatedly and rapidly?”

Even with years of support remaining, long-lived Windows platforms accumulate structural risk, including:

• Legacy drivers that can’t be reinstalled after hardware failure.
• OEM disk images that no longer exist.
• Engineering workstations tied to single firmware versions.
• Historians bridging OT and IT zones.
• Air-gapped systems that cannot receive behavioral detections.

A single ransomware attack, supply-chain compromise or failed OS upgrade can still:

• Destroy HMI availability.
• Corrupt historian databases.
• Break alarm routing.
• Shut down production for days or weeks.

Downtime in OT-dependent industries can range from $30,000 to well over $2 million per hour depending on sector and plant size.

For most manufacturers, there are now four realistic strategic paths forward in the Windows journey.

This option is best suited for new production lines, greenfield deployments and virtualized SCADA environments.

Advantages:

• Modern exploit mitigation and security architecture.
• Long support horizon well into the 2030s.
• Easier future regulatory alignment.

Risks:

• Many automation vendors still lag in Windows 11 certification.
• Often requires hardware refresh, full software revalidation and disruptive engineering downtime.
• Can trigger full GxP revalidation and production freezes in pharma and regulated manufacturing.

LTSC 2019 to LTSC 2021 is currently the most common and lowest-risk migration approach in industrial environments because it maintains vendor certification, hardware compatibility and long validation windows.

Advantages:

• Avoids premature Windows 11 migration.
• Minimizes operational disruption.
• Preserves application compatibility.

Risks:

• Does not eliminate recovery risk.
• Still vulnerable to ransomware, bricked upgrades, lost OEM images and driver reinstallation failure

For many manufacturers, this is the safest and most cost-efficient strategy. With this approach, backup, recovery and OT-specific allowlisting become foundational controls.

This strategy best supports the most critical capabilities in OT, including:

• Immutable backup, which prevents ransomware from deleting or encrypting last-known-good images.
• Bare-metal recovery with drivers preserved, which restores full HMI functionality even on new hardware after failure.
• One-click system recovery, which enables engineers with no IT expertise to restore failed machines in minutes.
• Application allowlisting for air-gapped environments, which blocks unauthorized execution without signatures or cloud access.
• Offline recoverability, which is critical for safety networks with no internet or SIEM visibility.

This approach allows manufacturers to:

• Maintain production stability.
• Protect systems that cannot be patched frequently.
• Satisfy auditors with documented compensating controls.
• Avoid unnecessary hardware refresh or early Windows 11 migration.

With this approach, manufacturers consider the lifecycle of Windows 10 IoT Enterprise and align OS transitions with control system modernization, not with IT refresh cycles. This option addresses the extended support timelines and unique validation cycles in OT infrastructures and provides a practical, safe transition strategy for OT environments

Rather than forcing a universal Windows 11 upgrade, with this approach, manufacturers:

• Stabilize existing LTSC systems with immutable backup and allowlisting.
• Standardize offline recovery across all HMIs and engineering stations.
• Segment historians and SCADA servers with fast restore orchestration.
• Plan controlled LTSC upgrades or Windows 11 pilots line-by-line.
• Align OS transitions with control system modernization cycles, not IT refresh cycles.

The workflow reflects how real factories operate.

The upcoming virtual conference, Protecting OT Systems After Windows 10 End of Support, brings together industrial cybersecurity experts to explore:

• Windows 11 readiness in OT.
• LTSC lifecycle planning.
• Backup, recovery and ransomware resilience.
• Pharma, energy and manufacturing compliance realities.
• Real OT attack and recovery scenarios.

Event date: February 4, 2026, 10:00 a.m. EST

Through expert sessions, live demonstrations and an interactive Q&A, speakers from Acronis and ARIA Cybersecurity Solutions will help you build a safe, compliant transition strategy that protects production, not just endpoints.

Register now to secure your spot and gain practical guidance for the next phase of OT system protection.