Stay Ahead of Microsoft Office End-of-Life (EOL)

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• End of Support Date:
  Office 2016 was released in 2015 and reached end of support on October 14th 2025. No extensions or extended security updates are available.

• 🚨 Is NOT GDPR or Cyber Essentials compliant since October 15th 2025

• What End of Support Means:
  Not GDPR or Cyber Essentials Compliant

              No more security updates, bug fixes, or patches.

              No technical support from Microsoft.

• End of Support Date:
  Office 2021 LTSC was released in 2021 and goes end of support on October 13th 2026.
   
• ✅Is fully GDPR and Cyber Essentials Compliant until 13th October 2026

• From 14th October 2026 - What Office 2021 End of Support Means:
  Will become GDPR or Cyber Essentials non Compliant

              No more security updates, bug fixes, or patches.

              No technical support from Microsoft.

• End of Support Date:
  Office 2024 LTSC was released in 2024 and is fully supported until October 9th 2029.
   
• ✅Is fully GDPR and Cyber Essentials Compliant until 10th October 2029

• Always up-to-date with latest features and security patches.
• Includes cloud integration (OneDrive, Teams) and AI features like Copilot.

• One-time purchase for businesses preferring traditional licensing.
• Supported until October 9th, 2029. 

• Designed for offline or highly controlled environments.
• Fixed feature set, 5-year support lifecycle.

Using Unsupported Software breaches GDPR and Cyber Essentials Requirements for Secure, Compliant Operations 

• 🚨Security Risks:
  Vulnerabilities will remain unpatched, making systems a target for malware and ransomware. 
• 🚨Compliance Issues:
  Regulated industries (legal, finance, healthcare) may fail audits due to unsupported software. 
• 🚨Compatibility Problems:
  Gradual incompatibility with Windows 11, Microsoft 365 services (OneDrive, Teams), and third-party add-ins. 
• 🚨Operational Impact:
  Increased downtime, user frustration, and IT troubleshooting burden.

• 🚨Security Vulnerabilities:  EOL software no longer receives security patches, leaving personal data exposed to breaches.
• 🚨Failure to Implement “Appropriate Technical Measures”: GDPR Article 32 requires organisations to ensure ongoing confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data—EOL software cannot guarantee this.
• 🚨Increased Breach Likelihood: Unsupported systems are prime targets for cyberattacks, increasing the risk of data breaches and subsequent fines.
• 🚨Accountability Principle Violation: Firms must demonstrate compliance; using outdated software shows negligence in risk management.
• 🚨Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIA): EOL software would fail any DPIA due to inherent security risks.

• 🚨Patch Management Requirement: Cyber Essentials mandates that all software is supported and up-to-date; EOL software cannot meet this.
• 🚨Vulnerability Management: Unsupported software introduces unmitigated vulnerabilities, breaching certification standards.
• 🚨Access Control Risks: EOL systems often lack modern authentication and encryption features required by Cyber Essentials.
• 🚨Audit Failure: Certification checks will flag unsupported software as a critical failure point.