Windows Server 2012 end of life, don't be late to upgrade.

Hi and welcome to another Security weekly. Where we laugh, we cry and share the latest and greatest in security and tech news.

I have a feeling this is going to be a goooood one. Know that feeling when every word you type just makes sense? That's what I'm having now.Makes up for all the times where I couldn't type 2 sentences without wondering wtf I was talking about..

In this week's edition:🪟 Windows Server 2012 nears end of life🤖 Microsoft investing $10 billion in OpenAI🔥 the quick and dirty

Reading time: 03:40

Windows Server 2012 nears end of life

Windows Server 2012 (and R2) are end of life from October 10, 2023.This one hits close to home. Like saying goodbye to a friend you know you'll never see again.* (I'll get back to that)

Time for a trip down memory lane.During my school days we first did labs on Windows Server 2008 but then halfway through.. there it was. Server 2012.My first IT crush. Sleek, powerful, tight. It had it all.Unlike Windows 8, which came out around the same time. Awful.

Actually, Server 2012 wasn't that good, it was only after R2 came out that people felt the power that it had:

• Powershell 3.0

• IIS 8.0

• live migration for Hyper-V

• Improved Active Directory

The list goes on, but you get the point. This baby was on a whole different level.

Do you know how many babes I pulled by talking about 2012? Absolutely zero. But that their loss.Anyway, where was I?

The end is finally in sight, after being in extended support since 2018. But what does end of life actually mean?

End of life means the stage of a product where the support (or in this case, the extended support) stops.There will be no further developments for the product, you can't make support calls about the product, nothing.

Does it mean my OS will stop working?

Well, in short no. But in the long run, it could.

• Other software won't be tested on Server 2012 anymore, so you're unsure if it will still run.

• Without any further updates, you might run into configuration errors you can't fix.

What is the security risk of running unsupported OS?

Well, to bluntly put it: everything is at risk.With the lack of security updates, it won't be long before exploits are no longer fixed and actively used.Hackers will prey on those still running unsupported OS and when they find a way in, it won't be pretty.

So, my business is still running 2012, what should we do?

• Don't put off migrating until the very end - You have 9 months left, and hopefully this isn't the first time you heard about the EOL date.

• Upgrade your servers to Windows Server 2019 or Windows Server 2022 - Now might be a good time to finally transition to a cloud solution if you haven't already. Take a look at Azure Virtual Desktop or something similar.

• Decommission the server, go cloud only - Wonder if you actually need a server still. Do you really?

• Whatever you decide, make sure Windows Server 2012 is gone - don't be that lazy Sysadmin that waits until next year

So yeah, the end of an era if you ask me.But just like the final scene of The Dark Knight Rises, I'll salute Windows Server 2012 and know that it did what it intended to do.

Microsoft investing $10 Billion in OpenAI

While still not confirmed, it's been the talk of the town last week:

"Microsoft Reportedly Closing In On $10 Billion Investment Into ChatGPT Creator OpenAI"

That's a lot of money.Actually calculating how long it would take me to earn that number would take so long that inflation would make the calculation invalid.

A bit dramatic, but you get the point.

While there is still speculation on the exact number, it's pretty sure the investment will go ahead.It's not secret that Microsoft is keen on AI technology, they've been a frontrunner for years.With a stake in OpenAI they will be using ChatGPT to improve Bing.Who would have thought Bing would actually be something people might use? Heck, with this addition Google will get a run for it's money.

First Edge turning the tide, becoming my main browser. Now Bing might make an appearance.

Where are the days Bing was only used to download Google Chrome?

The quick and dirty

• Italian Users Warned of Malware Attack Targeting Sensitive Information - Mama mia!

• GitHub makes it easier to scan your code for vulnerabilities - Cool stuff. Can't encourage this enough.

• Hackers Can Abuse Visual Studio Marketplace to Target Developers with Malicious Extensions - Next week I'll do a deep dive on extensions and marketplaces.

• Meme of the week

Security like I'm five

Don't have time for hours of research? Don't have 20 years of experience in security? Me neither, but I gotchu fam.In Security like I'm five I cover a range of security topics. I do all the hard work, and explain it to you in a practical matter. Lot's of meme's too. Good stuff, good stuff.This and Security weekly conveniently delivered to your mailbox a couple of times a week, for free.Pretty sweet deal if you ask me.

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