Is Microsoft SQL Server supported for Cyber Essentials?
Vendor end-of-support dates by version, and what the security update management control requires if you are past one.
- Status
- 4 of 7 versions supported as of 3 November 2026
- Next end of support
- 12 October 2027 (SQL Server 2017)
- Vendor
- Microsoft
- Category
- Server application
- Source
- Vendor lifecycle page
- CE Plus test
- Test case 2: authenticated vulnerability scan
Partly. As of 3 November 2026, 4 of 7 listed Microsoft SQL Server versions are supported for Cyber Essentials. SQL Server 2016, SQL Server 2014 and SQL Server 2012 and earlier no longer receive security updates and fail A6.2. The next listed end of security updates is 12 October 2027 (SQL Server 2017).
Is Microsoft SQL Server supported for Cyber Essentials?
Partly. 4 of 7 listed Microsoft SQL Server versions were supported on 3 November 2026; the table shows which.
SQL Server is supported for Cyber Essentials until the end of extended support for that version, or while you hold paid Extended Security Updates. SQL Server 2016 ended on 14 July 2026 and SQL Server 2014 on 9 July 2024, so without ESU both are unsupported for A6.2. SQL Server 2017, 2019, 2022 and 2025 remain in support.
Which Microsoft SQL Server versions are supported?
SQL Server 2025, SQL Server 2022, SQL Server 2019, SQL Server 2017 are supported as of 3 November 2026. SQL Server 2016, SQL Server 2014, SQL Server 2012 and earlier are past end of support.
| Version | Updates end | Cyber Essentials | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| SQL Server 2025 | 6 January 2036 | Pass | Released 18 November 2025. Mainstream support ends 6 January 2031. |
| SQL Server 2022 | 11 January 2033 | Pass | Mainstream support ends 11 January 2028. |
| SQL Server 2019 | 8 January 2030 | Pass | Mainstream support ended 28 February 2025. |
| SQL Server 2017 | 12 October 2027 | Pass | Mainstream support ended 11 October 2022. |
| SQL Server 2016 | 14 July 2026 | Fail | Extended support ended 14 July 2026. Paid Extended Security Updates are available to July 2029; the server counts as supported only while you can evidence the ESU. |
| SQL Server 2014 | 9 July 2024 | Fail | Paid Extended Security Updates (year 3) run to July 2027; supported only while you can evidence the ESU. |
| SQL Server 2012 and earlier | 12 July 2022 | Fail |
Source: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/products/sql-server-2016. Last checked 3 November 2026.
How do you check which Microsoft SQL Server version you are running?
You need the exact version for the device and software lists in the question set, and to compare against the table above. Check each in-scope device, or export the version column from your device management tool.
- In SQL Server Management Studio or sqlcmd run SELECT @@VERSION; the output names the version, edition and cumulative update.
- Compare the build with Microsoft's SQL Server builds list to confirm the latest security update is installed.
Record the version with the date you checked it. That dated record is the evidence behind your A6.2 answer and the version lists in A6.2.1 to A6.2.4.
What does "supported" mean under A6.2?
Supported means a vendor still issues regular security updates for the version and has published the date it will stop. Past that date, the version is unsupported.
The requirements define licensed and supported software as software you have a legal right to use and that a vendor has committed to support by providing regular vulnerability fixes, where the vendor provides the future date they will stop. Extended support counts while you can evidence the entitlement. Once the date passes, the software is unsupported whatever it still does.
Question A6.2 asks whether all software on in-scope devices are supported by a vendor that produces regular security updates. It applies to every device in scope, including staff-owned devices under BYOD, and to firewall and router firmware, which the A6.1 guidance treats as an operating system. The same guidance lists Windows 10, macOS Ventura, iOS 15 and Android 12 among its examples of operating systems out of regular support. Paid extensions such as Extended Security Updates count while you can show the licence.
What happens if Microsoft SQL Server is unsupported?
An unsupported Microsoft SQL Server version on any in-scope device stops the assessment passing: A6.2 cannot be answered Yes, and A6.3 would be a Yes, which means the licensed-and-supported requirement is not met. It is not labelled an automatic fail, but the assessor will not pass the application until it is fixed. There are three ways to fix it; pick one per device before you submit.
- Upgrade to a supported version. This is the answer for almost every laptop, desktop and server. For applications with a paid extension, enrol and keep the proof.
- Remove the software from in-scope devices, and answer yes to A6.6.
- Move the device into a defined sub-set that prevents all traffic to or from the internet, describe how in A2.2.2, and declare it under A6.7. A sub-set is segregated by a firewall or VLAN. It is a last resort for equipment that cannot be upgraded.
How does Cyber Essentials Plus check this?
Test case 2 checks it: an authenticated vulnerability scan of sampled end-user devices, servers and IaaS instances. The sub-test fails if the scan finds a vulnerability rated critical or high risk by the vendor, scored 7 or above on CVSS v3, or with no severity given, where the vendor fix has been available for more than 14 days.
The test specification adds that virtual patching is not accepted as a long-term mitigation for legacy unsupported operating systems. The Plus audit tests the same scope as the self-assessment certificate, so fix unsupported software before the self-assessment, not after.
Frequently asked questions
Partly. 4 of 7 listed Microsoft SQL Server versions were supported on 3 November 2026; the table shows which. SQL Server is supported for Cyber Essentials until the end of extended support for that version, or while you hold paid Extended Security Updates. SQL Server 2016 ended on 14 July 2026 and SQL Server 2014 on 9 July 2024, so without ESU both are unsupported for A6.2. SQL Server 2017, 2019, 2022 and 2025 remain in support.
Licensed and supported software is software you have a legal right to use and that a vendor has committed to support with regular vulnerability fixes, with a published future date when they will stop. Extended support still counts. A version past its end-of-support date, or on a paid extension you cannot evidence, is unsupported.
The assessment will not pass until you fix it: A6.2 cannot be answered Yes, and A6.3 (unsupported software in scope) would have to be answered Yes. A6.3 is not labelled an automatic fail, but a Yes means the requirement that all in-scope software is licensed and supported is not met. The three fixes are: upgrade to a supported version, remove the software from in-scope devices, or move those devices into a sub-set with no internet access and declare it under A6.7.
Yes, indirectly. Test case 2 is an authenticated vulnerability scan of sampled devices. Any critical or high-risk vulnerability, or one with a CVSS v3 score of 7 or above, where the vendor fix has been available for more than 14 days fails the sub-test. The specification also states that virtual patching of legacy unsupported operating systems is not accepted.
The dataset was last checked on 3 November 2026 against the vendor lifecycle page linked on this page. Vendors change dates, so confirm against the source before relying on a date near your assessment.
Related pages
- A6.2: supported softwareThe question, the guidance and how assessors mark it.
- A6.7: moving unsupported software out of scopeHow a sub-set must be built.
- Security update managementThe control hub, including the 14-day rule.
- Is it supported? toolLook up any product in the dataset.
- A6.3: unlicensed or unsupported softwareWhat the question asks and why a Yes means the requirement is not met.
- Check your readinessFree checker that asks the auto-fail questions first.
- Glossary: licensed and supported softwareThe NCSC definition, including the published end date.
- Microsoft Exchange ServerMicrosoft
- NCSCNCSC, Cyber Essentials: Requirements for IT Infrastructure v3.3 · April 2026Read on ncsc.gov.uk (opens in a new tab)
- NCSCNCSC, Cyber Essentials Plus Test Specification v3.2Read on ncsc.gov.uk (opens in a new tab)
- learn.microsoft.comMicrosoft lifecycle page for Microsoft SQL Server · checked 3 November 2026Read on learn.microsoft.com (opens in a new tab)
Would you pass the 2026 question set?
Answer 24 yes or no questions, built by the assessors who mark Cyber Essentials, and get a readiness score in about five minutes, with any auto-fail questions you miss flagged first in your results.
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