Christo IT Services Blog

Should you upgrade to Windows 11?

Written by Chris Schalleur | Sep 21, 2021 1:04:00 PM

Luckily, most people will, if they have an eligible device, upgrade to Windows 11. The promise of new innovations with productivity, connectivity, and creativity is now a reality. For those who can't upgrade due to their device not having the right specs, and who don’t want to buy a new device, Windows 10 will be the right choice. Microsoft said it will continue to support Windows 10 until October 2025, and there will even be updates to it later this year.

Windows 11 Security

For those who are considering the upgrade, security is one factor in any decision. As you might expect, Microsoft has raised its baseline of security for this latest version, which means it is the most secure Windows has ever been. During the security upgrade process, Microsoft used over 8 trillion signals from threat intelligence to test every aspect of the security system. They used reverse engineering of cyberattacks and got input from experts, including the UK National Cyber Security Centre, the NSA, and the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security. That means Windows 11 security will address threats that software alone can’t tackle.

It is for security reasons that many of the hardware requirements exist. Microsoft has also analyzed the most effective defenses to help it build the Windows 11 default security features. The research included looking at data from 2020 attacks that were blocked and archived. This process included six billion endpoint device threats, 30 billion threats to emails, and 30 billion authentications.

Windows 11 and HIPAA

If your organization needs to be HIPAA compliant, upgrading to Windows 11 would be the best decision to ensure your company stays compliant now and in the future.

System requirements

For Windows 11 to install properly, a PC needs to have the following basic requirements:

  • Intel: eight generation+, 64-bit architecture at 1Ghz+ Processor
  • 4Gb or more of RAM
  • 64Gb or more storage
  • Secure Boot capability, UEFI system firmware
  • Trusted Platform Module version 2.0
  • DirectX 12 + graphics card; driver WDDM 2.0 or newer
  • High-definition (720p) 9”+ display with at least 8 bits per color channel
  • Microsoft account & Internet connectivity

Should you upgrade to Windows 11?

Upgrading your operating system can be risky. If you recall, some versions of Windows in the past have flopped and were not liked by some. So, before anyone considers updating their system, you should consider backing everything up just in case you really can’t get on with it and want to revert while you can.