This note applies to graduate student working for the University who manages or utilizes a computer running Microsoft Windows Server 2003.

Microsoft is ending support for Windows Server 2003 on July 14, 2015. Afterwards, Microsoft will no longer support, upgrade, or patch Windows Server 2003. To maintain a supported and secure computing environment, and to comply with the Urbana campus server standard, please start planning now to retire or upgrade all Windows Server 2003 installations.

What to do:

• Identify all Windows Server 2003 systems that you manage.
• Coordinate with your designated IT Support professional and the faculty or researcher you work for.
• Develop a plan to retire or upgrade all of your Windows Server 2003 systems.
• Execute your plan as soon as possible to avoid running against Microsoft's deadline.

If you need assistance identifying your Windows Server 2003 instances, the Vulnerability Management Team can help - send an email to scanningservices@illinois.edu and request an OS-fingerprint scan for your network.

If there is some extraordinary circumstance whereby a particular business-critical system cannot be retired or upgraded, you may request an exception. Note that to be approved, all exceptions must be for systems that contribute substantially to the University's business and/or research goals; and cannot be upgraded. They must not process or store sensitive data. Their exposure must be mitigated such that only specific authorized clients may access it. General service systems or systems with larger exposure to the Internet will not be permitted unless substantially isolated/mitigated.

For questions related to this topic or to request an exception to the standard, please contact itpolicy@illinois.edu.

For more information please see: [https://security.illinois.edu/content/windows-server-2003-retirement]

Thanks for all your help with this.

Joe Barnes
Chief Privacy and Security Officer
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign