You might have spotted some news saying that Microsoft Windows 8 and Server 2012 are soon to reach their End of Life date… in fact, you probably heard it from us. However, not everyone may really know what this means, and how it can impact their organizations. In light of this, we wanted to give some context as to what a software title or operating system’s “End of Life” is, and what needs to happen in preparation for it.

In May of 2021, Ireland’s Health Service Executive, which handles healthcare and social services to the Emerald Isle’s nearly five million residents, was the target of a massive ransomware attack. Even as businesses and municipalities from all over the globe have been dealing with this plight, we mention this because of the aftereffects of this situation. Today, we take a look at the situation and what can be learned from it.