SharePoint 2013 is next on Microsoft’s list of products reaching the end of extended support. For users of SharePoint 2013 this creates a problem.
Microsoft offers continual bug fixes and patches to keep the product running and safe for anyone who purchased it long after a product has been launched. However, SharePoint 2013 is now nearing it’s end of life.
When does SharePoint 2013 reach end of life?
SharePoint 2013 reaches end of life 11th April 2023.
What does end of life mean?
With Microsoft, you can receive two levels of support for products. The first being 5 years of mainstream support where they release regular updates, fixes and patches etc. Thereafter, the product moves onto extended support for another 5 years. At this phase Microsoft focus on security fixes. They ensure there are no vulnerabilities in the solution during this period.
When SharePoint 2013 reaches end of life, this marks the end of extended support.
What are the risks of running SharePoint 2013 after end of life?
It is important to understand the security risk related to running SharePoint 2013 after end of life. If someone was to find a vulnerability or weakness in SharePoint 2013 and exploit it after 11th April 2023 then they could use this to attack your organisation, as Microsoft will not fix the issue.
Any weakness would be a permanent risk to your organisation and if widely publicised could be attacked by cyber criminals.
What can I do?
There are several things you can do when looking to manage these risks. The best step we would recommend would be a move to SharePoint Online which we have extensive experience with. This is a fairly easy migration path, and would completely remove the risk. Pair that with the wide range of increased capability and the modern user interface and you get a compelling argument.
If your organisation is not ready for SharePoint Online, you could move to a newer in support version of SharePoint on-premise such as SharePoint 2019 and this would buy you a few more years of support.
The main challenge organisations will face is if they have built applications or a customised SharePoint then it does make the upgrade and migration process more challenging. Any SharePoint applications may need to be rebuilt to work on the newer versions.
Now that you are aware of the risks associated with running SharePoint 2013 after end of life, understanding and evaluating the different options available to you is key. If you would like to discuss anything mentioned above, then please contact us today.
