Is Windows 10 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
- 5 of 7 versions supported as of 3 November 2026
- Next end of support
- 12 January 2027 (Enterprise LTSC 2021)
- Vendor
- Microsoft
- Category
- Operating system
- Source
- Vendor lifecycle page
- CE Plus test
- Test case 2: authenticated vulnerability scan
Partly. As of 3 November 2026, 5 of 7 listed Windows 10 versions are supported for Cyber Essentials. 22H2 (Home, Pro, Enterprise) without ESU and Enterprise LTSB 2016 no longer receive security updates and fail A6.1. The next listed end of security updates is 12 January 2027 (Enterprise LTSC 2021).
Is Windows 10 supported for Cyber Essentials?
Partly. 5 of 7 listed Windows 10 versions were supported on 3 November 2026; the table shows which.
Windows 10 support ended on 14 October 2025. A Windows 10 device counts as supported for A6.1 only while it is enrolled in Extended Security Updates you can evidence (consumer and commercial ESU both run to 12 October 2027) or runs an LTSC edition still in support. Otherwise upgrade it, replace it or take it out of scope.
Which Windows 10 versions are supported?
22H2 with consumer ESU, 22H2 with commercial ESU (year 2), Enterprise LTSC 2019, Enterprise LTSC 2021, IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021 are supported as of 3 November 2026. 22H2 (Home, Pro, Enterprise) without ESU, Enterprise LTSB 2016 are past end of support.
| Version | Updates end | Cyber Essentials | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22H2 (Home, Pro, Enterprise) without ESU | 14 October 2025 | Fail | No security updates since 14 October 2025. |
| 22H2 with consumer ESU | 12 October 2027 | Pass | Microsoft's consumer programme runs to 12 October 2027. Intended for personal devices; organisations buy commercial ESU. Keep a screenshot of Settings > Windows Update showing the device enrolled. |
| 22H2 with commercial ESU (year 2) | 12 October 2027 | Pass | Bought per year through volume licensing and cumulative (year 2 needs year 1). Keep the licence and the ESU activation (MAK) evidence. Year 3 is the maximum. |
| Enterprise LTSB 2016 | 13 October 2026 | Fail | |
| Enterprise LTSC 2019 | 9 January 2029 | Pass | |
| Enterprise LTSC 2021 | 12 January 2027 | Pass | Ends 12 January 2027. Plan the replacement now. |
| IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021 | 13 January 2032 | Pass |
Source: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/whats-new/extended-security-updates. Last checked 3 November 2026.
How do you check which Windows 10 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.
- Press Windows key + R, type winver and press Enter. The dialog shows the version (22H2) and OS build.
- For the edition, open Settings > System > About and read Windows specifications > Edition.
- For ESU, open Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update, which shows whether the PC is enrolled in Extended Security Updates. On a volume-licensed device, run slmgr /dlv in an elevated prompt and look for the ESU licence.
Record the version with the date you checked it. That dated record is the evidence behind your A6.1 answer and the version lists in A2.6 to A2.8.
What does "supported" mean under A6.1?
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 A6.1 asks whether all operating systems 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 Windows 10 is unsupported?
An unsupported Windows 10 version on any in-scope device stops the assessment passing: A6.1 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 operating systems 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. 5 of 7 listed Windows 10 versions were supported on 3 November 2026; the table shows which. Windows 10 support ended on 14 October 2025. A Windows 10 device counts as supported for A6.1 only while it is enrolled in Extended Security Updates you can evidence (consumer and commercial ESU both run to 12 October 2027) or runs an LTSC edition still in support. Otherwise upgrade it, replace it or take it out of scope.
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: A6.1 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
- A6.1: 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.
- Windows 11 setup guideSettings that keep this product updating within 14 days.
- Glossary: licensed and supported softwareThe NCSC definition, including the published end date.
- Windows 11Microsoft
- macOSApple
- UbuntuCanonical
- 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 Windows 10 · 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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