PWPSD Hardware/Software End of Life Procedure

Hardware

Most/All technology comes to ‘End of Life’ (EoL) at some point. This means the manufacturer is no longer developing updates of any kind for them. If a device is no longer supported for the most recent version of the software, it has likely come to EoL and plans will need to be made to replace/remove that device. A device that is no longer receiving any security updates rapidly becomes a major cybersecurity risk. These devices are not suitable for continued use by PWPSD and should be recycled as they are a risk for any user that signs on to them. Please contact PWPSD IT for assistance with that as needed.

This applies to almost any piece of technology BUT the most common devices used by PWPSD that this applies to would be laptops, workstations, tablets, mobile phones, and Chromebooks (although Chromebooks have their own procedure here).

Software

Software also has a lifecycle/support cycle. Software can become unsupported because the developer abandoned the software or because it was decided to stop paying for support. However it becomes unsupported, out of date software is also a cybersecurity risk and a risk to a users privacy. Software should be updated regularly or uninstalled if it is no longer supported. Again, please contact PWPSD IT for assistance with this as needed.