Tech experts fear cybercriminals will exploit end of Windows 10 support
123RF
New Zealand technology experts are increasing calls for people and businesses to upgrade their Microsoft devices, as Windows 10's support expiration looms.
From 14 October onwards, devices running Windows 10 will no longer receive free security updates, technical assistance or software patches.
Jamie Hall of technology distributor Ingram Micro NZ, said while systems will continue to operate, they'll be increasingly vulnerable to cyber threats and operational disruptions.
"So ultimately that's going to create some risks potentially for not only business users but any users of Windows 10," he said.
"Without those security patches or updates coming through, you're potentially going to be at risk or vulnerable to attacks or other things that might be targeted to devices that are still on Windows 10.
"All of a sudden that's opening up businesses to potential risk, but it goes a step further because, for example, if a business had cybersecurity insurance, which many do, if you've got an unsupported piece of software, it's likely it's not going to be included in that policy.
"So it's also opening up businesses to risks that they may not even be aware of," Hall said.
His encouragement that all eligible Microsoft users make sure they upgraded to Windows 11 as soon as possible was echoed by Consumer NZ product test writer Nick Gelling.
"But the real issue comes for people that are not eligible for that upgrade, Microsoft suggests that all its customers just migrate to Windows 11.
"Obviously if you can upgrade to Windows 11 you should do that as soon as possible, but if you're not, if your computer isn't compatible with the upgrade, you can look into installing a new operating system, something like a Chrome OS Flex or a Linux distribution like Mint.
"They'll take some getting used to, but you will be better protected."
Gelling said he was worried cyber criminals could target older members of society and people who can't afford a new computer.
"We think in New Zealand there's hundreds of thousands of computers that will be stuck on Windows 10 and unable to make that upgrade, and they'll be unable to receive security support, which means that the computers are unsafe to use," he said.
Ingram Micro NZ's Jamie Hall said he was informed by Microsoft that New Zealand had "only just crossed over a tipping point" in the past few weeks.
"There's more Windows 11 devices in market now than there is Windows 10 so that would tell me that there's still a huge amount of devices out there in businesses and in homes that are potentially at risk of not being replaced in time or upgraded in time and that's a real danger at the moment.
"The good news is that a lot of those devices don't necessarily need to be replaced, they can be upgraded but if those minimum requirements aren't met, then yes, a new device might need to be placed with."
Gelling said that this could lead to environmental impacts not just in New Zealand, but globally with Consumer NZ estimating as many as 400 million Windows 10 devices worldwide could become ineligible for a Windows 11 upgrade.
He estimates about 50 percent of the PC market currently uses Windows 10.
"Microsoft has these really ambitious sustainability goals, it wants to become carbon neutral by 2030.
"The end of Windows 10 support has the potential to be a really catastrophic waste event. We know that most e-waste does end up in landfill, so we expect this policy to send a bunch of New Zealand computers that are otherwise healthy to the tip, and that's just totally unnecessary.
"It results in heavy metal pollution and a whole lot of extra emissions from building the replacement computers that people have to buy and, you know, mining for rare earth minerals and all that."
Hall said it was important users understand that they don't necessarily have to throw away their old devices.
"My call out would be don't leave it to the last minute, think about it now and have a strategy in place for how you're going to go through it and upgrade or replace these devices and then on the replacement side, consider the recycling piece of it as well.
"It's very easy to throw these devices into landfill, but we all should take on the responsibility of thinking about how we ethically and sustainably dispose or recycle these devices and there's lots of great providers out there that will take these devices, often even buy them back off individuals, and then recycle those parts and recycle those materials so that they don't all end up in landfill."
In the meantime, Microsoft is offering consumers another extra year of support for Windows 10, which will cost US$30.
"So that's about 50 New Zealand dollars to extend support out to October 2026, we welcome that, however, that program is available for up to three years for business customers, while it's only available for the 12 months for consumers, and we sort of question why that is.
"We think it also shows that Microsoft is able to extend this support if it wants to, and for those that are willing to pay for it, it shows that it's sort of not a technological problem to continue supporting Windows 10. So why is Microsoft not willing to extend that support to everyone that can't necessarily afford to pay that extra $50," Gelling said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
5 hours ago
- RNZ News
How bad is the tariff news for NZ, really?
Photo: ARNE DEDERT / AFP New Zealand has been hit with a higher tariff rate than Australia on exports to the US - but economists say the situation could have been worse. It was revealed on Friday that New Zealand exports would have a 15 percent tariff applied, up from 10 percent announced earlier. Australia remains at 10 percent. Brad Olsen, chief executive at Infometrics, said that was a clear challenge for New Zealand. "There is now a wedge between us and Australia." There were other parts of the world that previously had a higher tariff rate that were now on the same level as New Zealand, such as Europe. "Wine, for example, under the original tariffs, we might have had a slight advantage. Now we don't." But he said it was not necessarily true that the country would have been better off had it negotiated a deal. He said New Zealand did not have a lot to "give up" in those negotiations, and it could have ended up being costly . "I'm a little bit surprised by comments, including from the opposition's trade spokesperson, that the government failed to achieve a lower tariff rate. "The comments seem to make the implication that New Zealand could have found a way to come up with a trade agreement that might have given us a lower tariff rate. "That might be true, but we have no idea what we would have had to give up to achieve that… some of what had to be given up by other countries to get a 15 percent tariffs rate is consequential - Japan and other countries had to give up to half a trillion dollars of further investment into the US." He said the impact on New Zealand's trading partners might not be as bad as had been expected, which should prove positive for the economy. "It will be slightly more challenging to export to the US from a New Zealand point of view, but our trading partner activity might not be hit as bad as was feared in April. That's probably a net benefit for us." Mike Jones, chief economist at BNZ, said the increase was not unexpected given indications of the past few weeks. "It's obviously unhelpful for NZ exports into the US, particularly how we line up with those coming from Australia and the UK, given the lower 10 percent baseline tariff rate for those countries. "Beef and wine exports could be affected. It's interesting in this context that we've seen the NZD/AUD exchange rate fall a little today in the wake of the announcements." Kelly Eckhold, chief economist at Westpac, said he thought New Zealand was in roughly the same position as in April. "On one hand, the tariff is higher, so there is a bigger direct cost, but it's a bit lower for a lot of our trading partners, so it's better for the economy than would otherwise be the case." He said how the lingering elements of uncertainty played out over the coming weeks would be important. "The legal basis of these tariffs, whether they're going to be able to continue or need to be replaced with a different type of tariff, is an issue. And the sectoral tariffs have not yet really been negotiated. "While I don't think these things affect the sort of goods New Zealand trades with the US, there may be some impact on our trading partners." He said it seemed strange that the US was calculating tariffs based on which countries exported more than they imported. "The concept that US authorities have had of countries ripping them off by selling more stuff to America than they're been buying is quite myopic. "We're only talking about goods trade here, we buy a lot of services from the US. "In large part, the trade imbalance is a cyclical rather than a structural story. "In the last few years, the economy has been relatively weak compared to the US. We're not sucking in as many imports, and the exchange rate has been lower than would normally be the case, which has encouraged export revenues. "I would have thought trade policy metrics like tariffs would be determined on the basis of structural, not cyclical factors. "All those things could easily be the other way around in a few years' time." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
6 hours ago
- RNZ News
Queenstown Shotover Jet turns 60: From river ferry to iwi-led tourism icon
A Shotover Jet glides through the Arthurs Point Gorge Photo: Supplied / Shotover Jet One of New Zealand's best-known adventure rides is celebrating 60 years in business after evolving from a simple five-person riverboat into an iconic thrill-seekers' attraction. Ngāi Tahu Tourism said the milestone was about much more than commercial success; it was a moment of pride for mana whenua who have taken the wheel. Shotover Jet business manager Donald Boyer said Shotover Jet rose from humble origins. Herm Palmer (right), who was an early owner and operator of Shotover Jet, 1966. Photo: Supplied / Shotover Jet "It pretty much did start with a couple of blokes and a really small wooden boat that seated about four to five passengers. "It was a transport service that came from Queenstown across the lake and up the Shotover to Arthurs Point purely for transport. The boat did about 30 km per hour, so quite sedate. "Through the 70s and 80s, it morphed into the thrill-based experience that it is." More than 4.6 million people have since taken a ride on the Shotover Jet, which has garnered national attention, won tourism awards and hosted prime ministers and royals. Ngāi Tahu Tourism general manager Jolanda Cave said a handshake deal with Ngāi Tahu in 1999 laid the foundations for the iwi's entire tourism arm, which now includes eight other ventures around Te Waipounamu. Ngāi Tahu Tourism General Manager Jolanda Cave, Shotover Jet Business Manager Donald Boyer and Kāi Tahu ki Tuawhenua Kāhui representative Paulette Tamati-Elliffe. Photo: Katie Todd / RNZ "The Shotover Jet is ultimately the jewel in the crown for Ngāi Tahu Tourism. It was the first tourism venture that we purchased, and it is ultimately what started the growth of what Ngāi Tahu Tourism is today," she said. Cave was among those who gathered on the riverbank on Friday morning to mark six decades of the Shotover Jet. The company planned to give free rides on Saturday and was releasing a documentary about its history. The money iwi used to buy into Shotover Jet came from a Treaty settlement involving $170m in Crown redress in the 1990s. Cave said Ngāi Tahu Tourism secured full ownership by 2004 and became one of the country's biggest tourism operators. Ross Melhop, one of the two brothers who founded Shotover Jet Services in 1965. Photo: Supplied / Shotover Jet "It's really enabled us to use the international manuhiri, the domestic manuhiri and use our voice so we're able to tell our stories. We're able to look after the whenua that we operate in and we're able to lead how we feel tourism should be in the future," she said. The Shotover River or Kimiākau Awa has been part of Ngāi Tahu's whakapapa for generations. Paulette Tamati-Elliffe, a member of Kāi Tahu ki Tuawhenua Kāhui, which represented the seven Papatipu Rūnanga of the area, said the waters were used to transport supplies and gather food, plants and pounamu. "This place was very important to us. It was a huge part of our tribal, our traditional tribal economy," she said. To maintain that connection and to be able to provide those benefits, tangible and intangible, for not only this generation but future generations to come, is just so important." Shotover Jet plans to give away free rides on Saturday, and it will be releasing a documentary about its story. Photo: Katie Todd / RNZ Kimiākau meant to search for the shoreline or sea, Tamati-Elliffe said. "The sandy, golden beaches that we enjoy on the coast of Dunedin come from these rocks and from this river, so that connection that our people have maintained for generations, from the mountains to the sea. "It just makes sense, that name, Kimiakau." Tamati-Elliffe said iwi hoped to see more whanau engaged in the business in future. "We want to strengthen and enhance what's already a great experience for manuhiri, and we believe we're on that trajectory." Boyer said sustainability was a big focus for the Shotover Jet as the company embarked on the next decade. "Over the last few years, we've started transitioning to engines that burn about 30 percent less fuel than the previous ones," he said. That's all part of our journey towards being at a point where we burn no fossil fuels, whether that's electric or hydrogen. "It's just an incredible achievement for a business in New Zealand to get to 60 years, and I'm just super proud to be leading the business and into this next decade." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
6 hours ago
- RNZ News
What officials said about pay equity changes
Photo: RNZ The minister who ushered through the pay equity changes said any limitations on workers' rights were justified in order to reduce the risks to employers. A document dump from the Treasury and the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment (MBIE) showed the processes the government went through to change the pay equity framework, and then return contingency funding to the Budget allowances. Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden, who introduced the legislation, acknowledged the changes would likely be contentious, but were necessary to meet the government's policy objectives of keeping a pay equity system, while changing the framework for assessing whether there is sex-based undervaluation. The government worked on the changes in secret, before announcing the amendment bill in May and passing it under urgency. New Zealanders protested the changes to the Equal Pay Amendment Act. File photo. Photo: RNZ / Tess Brunton At the Budget, Finance Minister Nicola Willis revealed the changes had saved $12.8 billion over the forecast period. The short timeframe to get the bill passed before the Budget meant there had been "limited testing and analysis" of the policy proposals, and the retrospective provisions in the bill were "inconsistent" with general principles. Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii MBIE acknowledged the transitional provisions would likely be "contentious" but without them it was unlikely the amendments would "meet the policy objective of ensuring the regime achieves pay equity, whilst better managing claims, and ensuring costs are related to sex-based differences in remuneration." The legal risks remained redacted, and the bill had no Regulatory Impact Statement. The process was also kept secret to prevent a surge of claims being lodged and potentially determined under the existing Employment Relations Act. The acting Attorney-General, Paul Goldsmith's consideration of the bill concluded that while it imposed limits on the right to freedom from discrimination, the right to justice, and freedom of expression, it was still consistent with the Bill of Rights Act. The paper van Velden took to Cabinet for approval, included in MBIE's document dump, shows she considered any limitations on the rights to be justified. "I consider that this is justified to meet the policy intent of allowing employers to better manage their operations, reducing potential risks to an employer's financial viability, which may lead to a reduction in employment or the quality or quantity of services provided," van Velden wrote. In December 2023, shortly after assuming the government benches, the finance minister requested more information on how the pay equity forecasts worked and whether there were any upcoming large claims. In February 2024, the Treasury reported back, saying the approach brought in by the previous government had contributed to higher cost outcomes, as it disincentivised agencies and funded sector employers from taking a lower-cost bargaining approach. "While the current Pay Equity process does require agencies to seek a bargaining contingency prior to the bargaining phase, this occurs late in the process, and many of the potential parameters for settlement are already largely agreed between the parties," officials said. "The absence of financial incentives during the pre-bargaining phase may have contributed to agencies adopting approaches which exceed the minimum requirements of the Equal Pay Act, for example, agreeing to higher paid comparators when lower paid ones would be appropriate." It also meant the Cabinet had "poor visibility" of the costs, until parties were at or near settlement. Treasury said pay equity costs were managed outside of Budget allowances, and there was merit in exploring an approach that brought some or all of the costs back within Budget allowances. By April 2024, Cabinet had agreed to a reset, bringing pay equity funding into two centralised tagged contingencies: one for the funded sector, the other for the public sector. This still allowed the government to meet its legal obligations as an employer, but was deemed to support the coalition's fiscal strategy. However, by the end of 2024, the government was looking to disestablish the funded sector contingency, identifying it as a significant spending commitment. It expected service providers to manage their own claims, with any cost pressures they created managed like any other cost pressure: through the Budget process. Nicola Willis chose to close the funded sector contingency and return the funding to the Budget 2025 allowance and capital allowance. This saved $9.6b over the forecast period. For the public sector contingency, Treasury recommended it be retained, but at a reduced level. "On balance, we consider retaining the contingency at [redacted] for residual costs to protect future allowances to be preferable given the legal obligations on the Crown as an employer under the new Act and Treasury's judgment that we can quantify the impacts with more than 50 percent confidence," Treasury wrote. The government adopted this approach, with the tagged public sector contingency reduced by $3.2b over the forecast period. In total, the changes returned around $12.8b to the Budget 2025 operating and capital allowances. Closing or reducing the contingencies without some certainty from Cabinet on policy change, however, was seen to potentially "strain the credibility" of future Budget allowances. And so, the future approach to pay equity was developed. Van Velden's legislation discontinued 33 claims and increased the threshold for what qualified as work that was "predominantly performed by female employees." All review clauses under settled claims became unenforceable. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
