That uneven access will almost certainly fuel an underground movement of users attempting to circumvent ESU licensing restrictions. While that might sound like an easy way to stay patched without paying, it is in fact one of the most dangerous gambles a company, or even an individual, can make with their cybersecurity posture.
What Exactly Аre Extended Security Updates (ESU)?
Extended Security Updates (ESU) is Microsoft’s paid program that allows you to receive critical security updates for a product (in our case, Windows 10) after its official end of support. The main purpose of the ESU program is to give both home users and organizations time to arrange their transition from Windows 10 to Windows 11, because too many companies can’t immediately upgrade due to hardware limitations, budget constraints, or, of course, third-party application compatibility concerns. However, there are three important facts to consider:
First, by subscribing to the ESU program, you will receive only security updates; it does not include new features, design changes, bug fixes, or general technical support.
Second, it is a temporary solution, allowing organizations to subscribe for up to three years, while home users are limited to one year of extended security updates.
Third, a one-year subscription costs home users $30, though it can also be obtained for free by syncing your PC settings with your Microsoft account. For businesses, the price is $61 per device for the first year, $122 for the second year, and $244 for the third year. Education organizations, on the other hand, will have to pay only $1 per device for the first year, $2 for the second, and $4 for the third year.
In other words, by subscribing to the ESU program, you buy some time to plan accordingly for your transition, test software compatibility, and budget for necessary hardware upgrades, while at the same time being protected from security threats.
A False Sense of Safety
Unofficial methods to obtain or install ESU updates are not legitimate, and more importantly, they are not reliable. They may appear to work at first, but they put the system in a precarious state where updates may be partial, corrupted, or discontinued without warning.
When Microsoft can and will inevitably tighten its authentication process for ESU access, those improvised workarounds could stop functioning overnight. Anyone who has not migrated by then will be left with an unpatched, unsupported operating system and no viable upgrade path ready. And a zero timeline because they will likely not know until the first determined to be needed patch fails.
If you are not prepared to replace or upgrade your Windows 10 systems today, you almost certainly will not be ready to do so in a hurry when those methods fail. That’s the crux of the danger: you are betting your operational security on an untrusted, temporary fix.
And when it collapses, the cost will not just be a failed update, it will be open exposure to every unpatched vulnerability discovered afterward.
The Exploit Window Never Closes
When Microsoft stops issuing public updates, every newly discovered Windows 10 flaw becomes permanent ammunition for attackers. Unlike modern supported platforms, these systems will never see fixes distributed through official channels.
Attackers understand this cycle. They know that once an operating system reaches end of life, the vulnerability discovery rate does not slow down, it accelerates. Researchers, both ethical and malicious, continue probing the OS, and as exploits surface, threat actors weaponize them knowing they will never be patched for the majority of users.
The global footprint of Windows 10 ensures that these exploits will find targets for years. Anyone running a pseudo-supported or modified configuration is effectively hanging a “do not disturb” sign on their defenses while assuming they remain secure.
This is not theoretical. The world already witnessed it with Windows XP and later with Windows 7. Both spawned widespread exploitation waves after end of support, fueled by outdated systems that businesses refused to retire. Those campaigns crippled hospitals, governments, and manufacturing systems because someone believed staying on an old version “just a little longer” was safe.
It wasn’t then, and it won’t be now.
The Compliance Trap
For organizations subject to regulatory or contractual cybersecurity standards, unofficial ESU access is not a clever shortcut, it is a direct violation of compliance. Frameworks such as ISO 27001, NIST 800-53, and PCI DSS all require that systems receive vendor-supported updates or certified third-party patches.
Once a company manipulates a system to appear as if it is still covered, that system becomes a compliance liability. During an audit or incident investigation, such deception will not only void coverage under most cyber insurance policies, it can also expose the organization to penalties and reputational harm.
In practice, this means your system may seem secure while leaving you legally and financially defenseless in the event of a breach.
A False Economy
The justification many give for trying these workarounds is cost. Paying for ESU access can be expensive, and upgrading large fleets to Windows 11 may strain budgets or compatibility. But saving money by relying on an unsupported hack is like taping a leak your car’s brakes to save on maintenance, short-term savings, long-term disaster.
If attackers compromise even a single system through an unpatched vulnerability, the resulting damage, downtime, ransom payments, lost customer trust… will far exceed the cost of legitimate ESU coverage or an orderly upgrade plan.
Furthermore, the existence of free ESU programs in select European countries may lead some to believe that Microsoft is being arbitrary or unfair in its pricing. That’s irrelevant to the core issue: updates applied under false credentials or through unauthorized channels do not provide legitimate protection. They offer an illusion of safety that disappears the moment something goes wrong.
The Cascading Effect on Business Partners
Even if your organization accepts the risk, your business partners might not. The attack surface created by unsupported Windows 10 systems does not stop at your network boundary. Threat actors regularly use weak endpoints as footholds to move laterally into connected systems, supply chains, and cloud environments.
That means if you’re still on Windows 10 after EOL, especially with unverified update methods, you may become the weak link that allows attackers to reach your customers or vendors. The reputational cost of being “the company that got everyone else hacked” is a burden few businesses can recover from.
Don’t Bet on a Workaround
It is just not worth it, you maty think it is, rationalize its benefit somehow, but let me be very clear here. Do not gamble your organization’s security on unsupported Windows 10 workarounds. The ESU extension was never meant to be a loophole, and trying to exploit it will only postpone the inevitable, or cause the worst.
If you haven’t started migrating yet, start now. The hardware refreshes, application testing, and compatibility adjustments all take time. Waiting until the end of support, or worse, until a workaround fails, guarantees panic, rushed decision-making, and downtime.
Cybersecurity strategy is about risk reduction, not risk deferral. Extending life support for Windows 10 through unofficial means does the opposite. It builds operational debt that compounds with every passing month.
FAQs:
How Much Will Windows 10 ESU Cost?
As we’ve outlined earlier, a one-year subscription costs home users $30 per device. Businesses can subscribe for three years at progressively higher rates: starting at $61 per device, then doubling to $122, and finally $244. Education organizations enjoy heavily discounted pricing of $1, $2, and $4 per device across the three-year period.
What Are the Risks of Using Third-Party ESU Tools from the Internet?
Using third-party ESU tools from unverified sources and vendors carries risks that simply aren’t worth taking. Such tools work by attempting to bypass Microsoft’s license checks, but what’s more concerning is that they often alter system files or inject unauthorized code. As you can imagine, this can be the shortest path to disaster, since it increases the risk of malware infection or tampered updates.
Apart from security concerns, you lose official support and update authenticity because Microsoft expects ESU updates to be delivered via approved mechanisms. Bypassing them leads to breakage when patches expect certain prerequisites or cryptographic controls.
Last but not least, using such tools is a terrible idea altogether, as they expose you to compliance and legal risks that can lead to regulatory penalties and fines. All in all, even if you think these tools seem like a cheaper option, the risk of instability, malware infections, or data breaches is far too high, and it definitely isn’t worth it.
How Long Will Microsoft Provide ESU Updates for Windows 10?
Home users are eligible to receive security updates for one additional year, extending coverage until October 13, 2026. Businesses and educational organizations have the option to enroll in the ESU program for up to three years, until October 13, 2028.
Why Are Some Countries Getting Free ESU Updates?
Microsoft is offering free ESU updates to the European Economic Area (30 countries) after pressure from the EU’s Digital Markets Act. Multiple consumer advocacy groups, including Euroconsumers, criticized Microsoft for forcing users to sync their data to OneDrive or pay for security updates, arguing that it violated Article 6(6) of the DMA, which prohibits dominant tech platforms from restricting users’ ability to switch between services.
Charging for updates or requiring cloud backup was deemed an unfair practice, pushing users toward new hardware and Windows 11 licenses. Euroconsumers also argued that Windows 10’s short support lifecycle, which ended only four years after the launch of Windows 11, constitutes planned obsolescence, especially since Windows 11’s strict hardware requirements render approximately 850 million devices ineligible for upgrade.
Rather than risk legal action or hefty fines, Microsoft took a step back and agreed to offer free extended support to EEA users until 13 October 2026, with just a Microsoft account sign-in every 60 days.
How Do ESU Workarounds Affect Data Privacy and Compliance?
ESU workarounds create serious privacy and compliance risks because almost all “miraculous” free third-party tools or registry hacks either deliver unverified updates and patches or run unverified code on your systems. The problem with these workarounds is that they frequently disable security features and can intentionally leave vulnerabilities unaddressed, which cybercriminals can exploit at any time, potentially triggering malware or ransomware attacks.
As a result, your organization loses the audit trail required to meet compliance standards such as HIPAA, SOC 2, or GDPR, which can lead to costly regulatory penalties and fines. Worse, your cyber insurance provider may deny claims if they discover that you’ve used ESU program workarounds.
In summary:
There will always be forums and YouTube videos promising easy methods to keep Windows 10 alive. There will be “not so legitimate” work arounds that themselves could be risky despite the inefficacy of update mechanisms. Resist the temptation. The brief convenience they offer is not worth the long-term exposure, compliance risk, and reputational damage that follow.
When Windows 10 reaches its true end, let it end. Move forward deliberately, plan your migration, and avoid being caught in the gray market of pseudo-security. Because when those unsupported systems finally fail, the attackers won’t hesitate to remind you that shortcuts in cybersecurity always come at the highest cost.
