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ZDNET's key takeaways
Secure Boot protects modern Windows and Linux PCs.
Microsoft Secure Boot certificates from 2011 expire in June 2026.
Most PC owners are fine if they install the latest updates.
Last year's end-of-support deadline for Windows 10 was a big test for consumers and IT pros alike. The good news is, everyone passed! The bad news is, there's another crucial expiration date right around the corner.
Every Windows PC designed and built since 2011 supports a feature called Secure Boot. This feature, which is on by default on new PCs sold with Windows 10 and Windows 11, acts as a gatekeeper that allows only trusted software to run at startup. If someone tries to tamper with the operating system or boot from an alternate device, Secure Boot blocks that attempt.
Also: How to upgrade your 'incompatible' Windows 10 PC to Windows 11 - for free
All currently supported versions of Windows support Secure Boot, as do an increasing number of Linux distributions, including Ubuntu, Fedora, Linux Mint, OpenSUSE, and a host of others.
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