Windows 10 devices carry 3 times the risk of Windows 11, data shows

A significant portion of devices still run Windows 10, posing a heightened security risk. While migration to Windows 11 has progressed, the remaining Windows 10 user base faces a disproportionately higher number of vulnerabilities, based on information published by Tech Radar.

New data from Lansweeper indicates that approximately 16.9% of Windows client devices, or one in six, continue to operate on Windows 10. This presents a security concern as these devices have, on average, three times more active CVEs (1,903) compared to Windows 11 devices (652). Furthermore, about two-thirds of these vulnerabilities on Windows 10 are rated as high or critical, with an exploitable rate 1.7 times higher than on Windows 11. Industries like healthcare and pharmaceuticals, consumer and retail, and manufacturing show higher adoption rates of Windows 10.

Technical limitations are not the primary barrier, as only a small percentage of Windows 10 devices fail to meet Windows 11 hardware requirements. The report also highlights that nearly one-fifth of all monitored Windows devices run end-of-life operating systems such as Windows 7, 8.1, and XP, compounding the overall security landscape risk.

Source: Tech Radar