IS YOUR TECH EQUIPMENT THE WALKING DEAD?

In 1994, The Lion King [Allers & Minkoff] taught a generation including me about the circle of life. I can still hear the voice of James Earl Jones saying, “When we die, our bodies become the grass, and the antelope eat the grass. And so we are all connected in the great Circle of Life.” Technology, too, has a cycle of life. Manufacturers still have a long way to go before recycling hardware is efficient and widespread so the antelope analogy is a bit of a stretch, but it’s clear to all that there is a beginning and an end to every tech device and software package. The question, then, is do you know when the end has come? And could some of the equipment in your home and office already be the walking dead?

The Time To Upgrade

One important concept to be aware of is the time at which a piece of technology is no longer supported by the manufacturer or developer. This is usually referred to as end-of-life or endof-support. Some companies segment out the stages of death into multiple ends as support is clipped over time.

End-of-support means just what it sounds like: the manufacturer will no longer provide any support for that particular product and will also not provide patches for security vulnerabilities discovered after that date. In nearly all cases, end-of-support occurs years after the product was last sold or widely marketed and the bulk of

BEN LAKE

the user base has moved on to the latest and greatest version.

roughly every six months, and you need to be on an update that was released in the last 18 months to receive support and patches.

To see your current release version, go to Start > Settings > System > About. Then do an online search for “Windows 10 lifecycle policy” and compare your version against that chart of end-of-support dates.

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE

Closing Windows

A well-known example was the 2020 end-of-support for Windows 7. Microsoft even put up full-screen warnings after the date passed to make sure everyone knew they were behind. With Windows 11 quickly supplanting Windows 10 on new computers, the user base will have a repeat in October 2025 when Windows 10 reaches end-of-support.

That date, though, comes with an important caveat. You are only supported to that point as long as you are regularly installing the semi-annual “feature updates”. Microsoft releases a major update to Windows 10 (and now 11)

Software apps are not alone in having a shelf life. Networking hardware is also part of the same circle of life. Routers in particular should be checked regularly as these devices are literally the gateway to the Internet and act as the security guard to your internal network. In addition to regularly installing the latest router firmware, you should periodically check the manufacturer’s website to see when the end-of-support date is announced. The router will still function after that, but you are leaving yourself vulnerable to newly discovered attacks if you keep it in service.

It is important to be aware of technology in your environment that is reaching (or has already passed) its end-of-support date. Having devices and software that are no longer receiving security fixes may put your whole system at risk. Replacing old equipment and software should become part of your own circle of (tech) life.

QUESTIONS

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Ten Questions

CEDAR PARK CITY COUNCIL MEMBER

Heather Jefts

Teams

Influencers 1

I DEFINE A GREAT ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE AS ONE THAT supports creativity in problem solving, allows all team members the opportunity to contribute, and provides growth opportunities for new and younger team members. A chain of command, expectations, and goals need to be clear, but everyone must still see their job as important and impactful to the whole.

ONE THING I TRY TO DO EVERY DAY is meditate. It helps me to be mindful of the world around me and focus on the issues immediately in front of me, rather than being distracted by extraneous or vague issues.

I FEEL MOST ALIVE WHEN I’m collaborating with others to solve a problem or discuss policy. Being on such a hard-working board is a privilege, as I get to work with a group of intelligent professionals who all care about ending child abuse and neglect. Working together collaboratively to figure it out keeps me going when the realities are hard.

I HANDLE NEGATIVITY BY...

This one is hard. There is a lot of negativity in politics, and even more in the Children’s Advocacy Center sphere, and they are two very different types of negativity. In politics, I try to block it out by going on date nights with my husband, hanging out with the people I love, and keeping my personal life as private as possible. With the Advocacy Center, our organization is one of love and hope, but the stories are just gut-wrenching. So I focus on what we can do today, how I can help the organization today, and what our professional staff need today, so they can go out and change those stories for the better.

One Thing That Is Difficult For Me But I

ENJOY IS being a student again.

I’m currently an undergrad at UT, and it is a humbling challenge being around 20-somethings all day, every day. I certainly get a firsthand view of how young adults see and move through the world. I love to learn, so as challenging as the courses are, it is such a privilege to be in college and learn from some of the best professionals and experts in their fields.

6 7 5

Influencers

My Best Advice For Handling Change Is

to roll with it, because change is inevitable. Pause and reflect if it is uncomfortable. Sit with it before reacting, and be an outsider viewing your feelings; that allows you to see where any discomfort is coming from and address it at the root.

In 10 Years I Hope To

have finished my Masters of Public Affairs and be leading in the environmental policy sphere here in the Austin metro area. I hope to have made a positive impact on our shared environment. I hope the Children’s Advocacy Center has been set up for a financially stable future and is expanding education and outreach in our county, with abuse becoming increasingly rare.

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AS making a positive impact in the lives of others, whether I get to see it or not. We never know how our actions will ripple out into the world, but intentionally working for the good of others has the best chance of making someone else’s life better. To me, that is more important than any accolade or monetary gain.

I Define Success

CLEAN AND ORGANIZED, AND LISTEN TO MUSIC. CLASSICAL BACKGROUND MUSIC. I LIKE TO KNOW WHERE ALL MY KEEPS ME FOCUSED ON ONLY WHAT IS IN FRONT OF ME.

JEFTS IS PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF THE WILLIAMSON COUNTY CHILDREN’S ADVOCACY CENTER. A COLLEGIATE SWIMMER AT JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY, SHE STARTED HER OWN SMALL BUSINESS, TEMPO SWIMMING, TEACHING RECREATIONAL AND COMPETITIVE SWIM CLASSES TO GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS. SHE PREVIOUSLY WORKED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS IN THE GENOMIC SEQUENCING AND ANALYSIS FACILITY AND AS VETERINARY SURGICAL TECHNICIAN. SHE IS CURRENTLY A SUSTAINABILITY STUDIES AND ECONOMICS STUDENT AT UT.

Profiles

I N 2020, WILLIAMSON COUNTY WAS THE 14 TH LARGEST COUNTY IN THE UNITED STATES FOR POPULATION GROWTH. AS OF JULY 2022, GEORGETOWN WAS THE FASTEST GROWING CITY WITH A POPULATION OF OVER 50,000 IN THE UNITED STATES 1 .

In October 2022, the Williamson County Economic Development Partnership (EDP) hired its first executive director, Dave Porter, to take full advantage of Williamson County’s explosive growth in an effort to attract more businesses. Porter says his main mission is to market Williamson County to businesses of all sizes to encourage them to relocate or expand here. The strength of his message is that “we are trying to improve people’s lives through better-paying jobs.”

Williamson County EDP is a collaboration between Williamson County and the cities of Cedar Park, Leander, Liberty Hill, Jarrell, Georgetown, Hutto, and Taylor, as well as the Round Rock Chamber of Commerce. The County planned initially to fund the program with $30,000, but after assessing the work to be done, commissioners voted unanimously 5-0 to increase the budget to $500,000.

Basal Benefits

Porter enumerated the benefits Williamson County has to offer, including an abundance of land, an educated workforce in residence, and proximity to the surfeit of tech industry companies in north Austin. He added that Williamson County has an extremely pro-business culture with a welcoming atmosphere and elected officials who want to make it as easy as possible for businesses to come to Williamson County.

by Janet Civitelli