Microsoft ends Windows Server 2003 support

Starting today, Microsoft will no longer offer security patches for a Windows version popular for running business and government servers. Those still running Windows Server 2003 and their customers will be increasingly vulnerable to hackers.

Microsoft officially ended support for the 13-year-old operating system Tuesday, something it had been warning users about for months.

• Windows Server 2003end of support: What you need to know

That means newly discovered security holes won't be fixedand will remain available for cybercriminals to exploit, boosting the risk of a security breach. That risk could lead to some businesses being barred from accepting credit card payments. However, the software still works, for now.

"If you are still running Windows Server 2003 in your datacenter, you need to take steps now to plan and execute a migration strategy to protect your infrastructure," Microsoft said on its Windows Server 2003 website.

As of March, the software was still running 380,000 servers across Canada, hosting corporate websites, email files, databases, and software managing tasks such as reservations and customer service.

Users have the option of upgrading to new server softwaremade either by Microsoft or another company. Or they can switch to cloud services instead of maintaining their own servers.

Microsoft has someassessment and planning tools available onlineto help those still deciding how to upgrade. It still supports two newer versions of Windows Server, 2008 and 2012.