Microsoft to Strengthen Windows Resilience in Response to 2024 IT Failure
Microsoft has unveiled a series of upgrades for its Windows platform, scheduled for release in July 2025. The changes aim to enhance operational resilience and reduce disruptions during software updates.
Jim Treinen, senior vice president of engineering at Trellix, praised the Microsoft Windows endpoint security program, stating that it encourages a collaborative and transparent environment to strengthen cyber resilience for all customers. This initiative comes in response to the July 2024 outage, which affected approximately 8.5 million Windows systems and caused significant disruptions across various critical infrastructure providers.
One of the key upgrades is the new Windows Server 2025, offering an 80% performance improvement compared to Windows Server 2022, along with a 45% reduction in CPU load. The server also introduces more flexible upgrade paths, allowing direct media upgrades from versions as old as Windows Server 2012R2 to 2025 without incremental steps. This reduction in complexity and risk during migration is expected to ease the upgrade process and avoid prolonged downtime or failures linked to traditional migration methods.
In addition, the Windows 11 July 2025 Optional Update will introduce hotpatch updates, generally available for both Windows x64 and Arm64 devices. This feature decreases the need for full device reboots during patching, thereby minimizing update interruptions and enhancing device uptime.
The Servicing Stack Update (KB5063878, August 12, 2025) is another quality improvement to the servicing stack—the core component responsible for installing Windows updates. This update ensures more reliable update installations, helping prevent update failures by maintaining the integrity and robustness of the update process infrastructure.
Microsoft has also announced that Windows 10 version 22H2 will reach end of servicing in October 2025. Extended Security Updates (ESU) will be available to prevent software disruptions. Microsoft has provided various enrollment options, including free entitlement via backup sync or Microsoft Rewards points and a paid option, facilitating continued security and operational support during transition periods.
Alex Ionescu, chief technology innovation officer at CrowdStrike, has seen significant customer interest in the effort to drive greater platform resilience. The changes in the Microsoft Windows endpoint security program are aimed at creating a more secure environment and strengthening cyber resilience for all customers.
David Weston, corporate vice president of enterprise and OS security at Microsoft, announced the changes in a blog post on Thursday. The collaboration between Microsoft and security firms, including CrowdStrike, has led to substantial improvements in the planned capabilities for the Windows endpoint security program.
The introduction of MVI 3.0 has met all new standards, and it is recognized that these rigorous requirements strengthen the overall ecosystem. Microsoft plans to roll out platform upgrades in July to enhance operational resilience in Windows.
These efforts collectively enhance operational resilience by allowing easier, lower-risk upgrades, introducing hotpatching capabilities to avoid reboots, improving servicing stack reliability, and providing flexible support options during OS transitions. These changes are expected to ensure updates are applied smoothly with minimal interruption to end users and IT operations.
Microsoft's partners have welcomed the changes, stating they will create a more secure environment for customers. The overhaul is part of a Windows overhaul announced by Microsoft in November to create a more secure environment.
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