The quiet expiry of Secure Boot certificates is creating a security headache for Windows PC users, with many machines left unprotected, and the situation exposes a deeper problem with planned obsolescence in the PC industry, according to PCWorld.
On June 24, security certificates underpinning Secure Boot began expiring on systems running Windows and Linux. Microsoft rolled out replacement certificates to some PCs, but many machines were left out of the update. The resulting confusion forced users to decipher whether their systems were at risk and what steps to take, a process PCWorld described as far beyond what most everyday users would tolerate.
“Most people would not take the time to do this,” PCWorld noted, adding that the complexity of the situation required it to write two separate guides just to explain the different levels of risk and the steps needed to check certificate status.
The planned obsolescence angle
The Secure Boot certificate problem is a symptom of a wider issue. PC makers and software vendors, including Microsoft, are tying increasingly important security features to newer hardware. Users who cannot afford to upgrade, particularly amid AI-driven hardware price increases, a tight jobs market, and rising cost of living, are left with machines that gradually lose security support.
Microsoft’s quiet extension of Windows 10 security updates by another year was a tacit acknowledgment that many users cannot or will not move to Windows 11, which requires newer hardware with features such as TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot-capable UEFI firmware.
The economic pressure is compounding the security gap. DRAM prices have remained elevated due to AI chip demand, SSD prices have risen alongside NAND consolidation, and CPU/GPU upgrades carry significant costs, all of which make buying a new PC purely for security compliance an unattractive proposition.
PCWorld’s advice to users is blunt: speak up to companies about confusing or off-putting planned obsolescence practices. “Even if it means going without vital security features,” it reported. “They have telemetry data, they know what configurations people use.”
Broader security landscape
The Secure Boot issue is not the only security concern the article flagged. AI browsers that can be tricked into performing harmful multi-step tasks across multiple tabs remain a risk. Apple’s Hide My Email service was found to have a vulnerability that allows aliases to be traced back to real email addresses, and has been broken for over a year. WhatsApp’s username rollout, meanwhile, was highlighted as a positive step for privacy, helping users keep their phone numbers private in an ecosystem of over 3 billion users.
Sources: Planned obsolescence is now a Windows PC security nightmare (PCWorld, July 2026); Your Windows PC is at risk if you’re missing these security certificates (PCWorld)