Updating your PC regularly is one of the very first and potentially biggest rules of cybersecurity. It just is. But tech giant Microsoft (MSFT) recently brought out a move that directly defies this major rule, and called on PC owners to not update. This baffling condition left investors puzzled, and pulling back in concern. Microsoft shares dropped fractionally in Thursday afternoon’s trading.
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This is connected to the ongoing and highly controversial move to halt all security updates for Windows 10. We know that Consumer Reports recently came out against Microsoft’s move, but it also amplified that move. Consumer Reports noted that Microsoft said on one hand that “…Windows 11 is an essential upgrade to boost cybersecurity,” but followed that move up by making it impossible for many Windows 10 PCs to upgrade. Further, Microsoft then tried to charge users $30 for an extra year of security on Windows 10.
But now, an addition to the Windows Update page on PCs features a new button: “Enroll Now.” The button in question leads to the Extended Security Updates (ESU) section, which offers the paid and free options. Not all users have received this yet, though Microsoft assures users that everyone will get in before October 14.
Copilot Hits the House
Meanwhile, Microsoft Copilot has made an appearance in the United States House of Representatives. Copilot will be made available to House members, as well as their staff, and will also include “…heightened legal and data protections.” It is, reports suggest, part of a larger initiative designed to get artificial intelligence tools into government use.
Microsoft is offering up to 6,000 licenses free for a year, and technical staff at the House has apparently already been testing the products since June. Further rollout will follow, and apparently should be fully in place by November.
Is Microsoft a Buy, Hold or Sell?
Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Strong Buy consensus rating on MSFT stock based on 34 Buys and one Hold assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. After a 16.26% rally in its share price over the past year, the average MSFT price target of $625.78 per share implies 22.93% upside potential.
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