Hi friends! Can you believe it’s almost time for
November's Patch Tuesday? If you’re like me and always looking for ways to secure your systems, you are probably wondering: does this mean that
Windows Exchange Server is starting
EOL this month? Not so fast—but what is to come?
What About Windows Updates?
Last month, there were a massive amount of updates from
Microsoft.
Windows 10 saw a total of
116 fixes and
Windows 11 had
134! That’s quite a few updates! Some versions are officially
EOL, like
Windows 11 22H2 Enterprise and Education.
This month, we anticipate
Windows 11 23H2 Pro will also be
EOL.
Enterprises and Education will still be supported following this month until
November 2026.
Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021 and
IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021 are still acceptable to run as well.
What about Exchange Server?
As for
Exchange Server—many of the earlier versions are already
EOL. A lot of companies are not going to
Microsoft 365 yet—mostly expensive and too slow. If you’re still running an Exchange Server, there are still guides from agencies in the security community, including
CISA and
NSA on how to protect your systems.
Key Security Issues to Monitor
Heads-up! A significant
WSUS security issue (CVE-2025-59287) is actively being exploited by attackers. It impacts
Windows Server 2012 to 2025 and comes in at a
9.8 on the
CVSS scale, which is severe. If you have not applied this security patch yet, do so immediately! These types of updates are the first I will patch as a best practice; you don't want to wait too long.
What’s Coming Up This November
Here's what we can expect:
- There is a much lower volume of updates this month - therefore, it will be slightly easier to manage.
- Updates to Windows, Office, and SharePoint expect.
- Adobe applications (potentially InDesign and/or Photoshop) could have updates. Acrobat and Reader have already been patched.
- Speaking of updates, Apple and Google have also recently issued security updates - but don't forget about Safari and Chrome!
- Firefox 144 saw its updates on the weekend of October 28, for which we may see follow-up updates for November or December.
It feels as if the flooding of updates has slowed a little bit, but managing devices with older software versions is always a challenge. My recommendation is to keep your computers patched with updates to meet critical security issues, and be sure to plan ahead if you are proposing to migrate
Exchange servers.
Concluding Observations
Is
Windows Exchange Server finally gone? Not yet, but we’re getting closer.
November Patch Tuesday might be easier, but don’t forget about updates. Keep your computers safe, remedy critical issues quickly, and grab an extra cup of coffee: it’s going to be a busy week!