maxrebo Posted January 23 Posted January 23 We have a number of Ipads and other tablet devices which are OLD and out of OS support, if it was up to me I would remove them from the network when this support ended but staff don't see it this way (or care) How do you manage these? - Out of support - Off my network! or carry on using them?
drutt Posted January 23 Posted January 23 (edited) iPads will stop installing newer apps after awhile, once they get to that point it's in the WEEE bin We don't touch android tablets as they're just too varied to manage to a reasonable standard in my opinion, I'd prefer using the money there on mobile windows devices like surface go instead if it must be a "tablet" Edited January 23 by drutt 1
JazzFlute Posted January 23 Posted January 23 (edited) 12 minutes ago, maxrebo said: We have a number of Ipads and other tablet devices which are OLD and out of OS support, if it was up to me I would remove them from the network when this support ended but staff don't see it this way (or care) How do you manage these? - Out of support - Off my network! or carry on using them? I have in the past with SLT agreement wipe them back to factory settings and offered them to staff for a nominal fee along with a receipt/letter confirming no support offered as bought as seen. Even though eol may be useful for hard up staff family members to browse, read books etc. as long as you let them know they are eol and don't expect to much out of them. Money could be then used by the school for anything else. Edited January 23 by JazzFlute 1
synaesthesia Posted January 23 Posted January 23 Depends - if they're properly old and no longer supported then they're not going on the wifi in any capacity, so use will be limited. We have around 6 that were being disposed, but were also aware our PE team needed something to take videos on. No requirement to download them, just take the videos and just view. So they now have 6 shiny ipads for this purpose We have a couple of other ones that work as kiosks but mitigated against risk by only allowing connection to the service they're used for - still down for replacement in next budget though. As bad as it is, much of it is risk management and what certain people will do if you get compromised and it turns out one of these may be the issue. 1
3s-gtech Posted January 23 Posted January 23 I manage them fine, they're very light and are easy to put into the WEEE skip. 1 2
sideone Posted January 23 Posted January 23 These devices are not Cyber Essentials compliant, sorry. We're retiring them, and can quote you for replacements if necessary. Generally works fine, even if it doesn't always go down well.
maxrebo Posted January 23 Author Posted January 23 Thanks all. That's enough for me to start the process of getting rid of these off my Network! I wonder if you can block access to out of support OS devices in Aruba?... I will start another thread for that one!
2ilent8cho Posted January 23 Posted January 23 What are you going to class as out of support? An iPad Air 1st Gen or Mini 2 from 2013 for example still got an iOS update in 2023 to 12.5.7 .
3s-gtech Posted January 23 Posted January 23 8 minutes ago, 2ilent8cho said: What are you going to class as out of support? An iPad Air 1st Gen or Mini 2 from 2013 for example still got an iOS update in 2023 to 12.5.7 . It's difficult with Apple, but that marked 4 1/2 years of OS support. I'd normally advise 5, so EOL would reasonably be September 2023 when iOS 17 came out.
MYK-IT Posted January 23 Posted January 23 (edited) 5 minutes ago, 3s-gtech said: It's difficult with Apple, but that marked 4 1/2 years of OS support. I'd normally advise 5, so EOL would reasonably be September 2023 when iOS 17 came out. 17 minutes ago, 2ilent8cho said: What are you going to class as out of support? An iPad Air 1st Gen or Mini 2 from 2013 for example still got an iOS update in 2023 to 12.5.7 . Apple iPad | endoflife.date And what @sideone quoted, oos needs replacement etc Edited January 23 by MYK-IT
sideone Posted January 23 Posted January 23 Yup, we use the Cyber Essentials page here: https://ce-knowledge-hub.iasme.co.uk/space/CEKH/2643591475/Apple+iOS+-+Tablets+and+Smartphones Quote When assessing Cyber Essentials compliance, the versions that are considered to be supported are iOS and iPadOS versions 16, 18, and 26. iPadOS 17 is also still considered to be supported. iOS 17 is not considered to be supported.
2ilent8cho Posted January 23 Posted January 23 So Cyber Essentials says iOS 17 fine, which was last updated 14 months ago with 17.7.2 (Nov 24), but iOS 16 which was last updated 4 months ago with 16.7.12 (Sep 25) not ok, bizarre.
sideone Posted January 23 Posted January 23 7 minutes ago, 2ilent8cho said: So Cyber Essentials says iOS 17 fine, which was last updated 14 months ago with 17.7.2 (Nov 24), but iOS 16 which was last updated 4 months ago with 16.7.12 (Sep 25) not ok, bizarre. I think you've read that backwards.
DavR Posted January 23 Posted January 23 Up to you how much risk you're willing to accept, and what they're being used for. We're still running iOS 12 on the main network, because we just don't have the budget / they aren't high enough priority for replacement. We only use them for infants web browsing and maths games mostly. They're going in the next year or so, hopefully. If you wanted to do it properly, you could put them on their own VLAN / SSID with no access back to the main network to minimise the risk.
DrBeaker Posted January 23 Posted January 23 Refer them to this https://www.gov.uk/guidance/meeting-digital-and-technology-standards-in-schools-and-colleges and the section Devices should meet or exceed the minimum requirements That makes it and SLT problem and they're paid to lead and manage it - to comply with DFE requirements, not suggestions Minimum requirements The purpose of the requirements in this section is to make sure schools and colleges have reliable and durable devices which support curriculum delivery. This is not a fully inclusive list for all device requirements, as these will depend on specific needs. IT support should make sure all devices meet or exceed the minimum requirements set out in this table. Minimum requirements What you need Operating system Enterprise or education-grade operating systems, which means they are designed for professional rather than home use. Support and security When repurposing, upgrading or buying new devices tablets should have 3 years of manufacturer support and security patches. Laptops and desktops should have 5 years of support and security patches. Warranty length 3 years for laptops and desktops 2 years for tablets The warranty durations listed here have been set to cover the minimum amount of time manufacturers usually offer support for security updates and bug fixes. Wirelessly connecting to the IT network (for portable devices) Devices should support the wifi standard 802.11ac Wave 2. But it’s recommended that devices meet wifi 6 (802.11ax). Screen size (for tablets only) 9.7 inches When to meet this standard Laptops, desktops and tablets should be replaced or upgraded now if they do not meet the operating system requirements of this standard. For everything else: check whether they can be upgraded or repurposed before choosing to buy any new devices make sure this standard is met when investing in new devices
jmak Posted January 24 Posted January 24 23 hours ago, 3s-gtech said: I manage them fine, they're very light and are easy to put into the WEEE skip. The only acceptable answer. And if you can't afford to replace them, you can't have iPads. It's not complicated with Apple: they tell you what OS versions are still getting security updates and they tell you what models are supported. Note that this does vary by model. Models that support iPad OS or iOS 26 are not getting security updates for iPad OS or iOS 18. As mentioned above, the iasme Cyber Essentials page is a good source. 1
2ilent8cho Posted January 27 Posted January 27 (edited) Interestingly Apple released iPadOS 12.5.8 in the last 24 hours . So 13 year old devices such as iPad Air (1st generation), iPad mini 2, and iPad mini 3, iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, and iPhone 6 Plus got some updates. Edited January 27 by 2ilent8cho 2
DavR Posted January 27 Posted January 27 55 minutes ago, 2ilent8cho said: Interestingly Apple released iPadOS 12.5.8 in the last 24 hours . So 13 year old devices such as iPad Air (1st generation), iPad mini 2, and iPad mini 3, iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, and iPhone 6 Plus got some updates. That's interesting. I've just read that this update is basically to renew some expiring certificates, which reads to me like a courtesy update so old devices don't brick on certain functions. Begs the question - when does an update count as a security update? Does that update include the last three years of security vulnerabilities, or just those certificate updates?
paulkerton Posted January 27 Posted January 27 On 23/01/2026 at 10:41, maxrebo said: We have a number of Ipads and other tablet devices which are OLD and out of OS support, if it was up to me I would remove them from the network when this support ended but staff don't see it this way (or care) How do you manage these? - Out of support - Off my network! or carry on using them? They're a cyber essentials breach, so they either get isolated on the network so they really can't do much - or they go into the WEEE bin. Doesn't matter what staff want, frankly. If it's a security problem, it'll come back on you for allowing it once the poop hits the fan, despite staff protestations. 2
3s-gtech Posted January 27 Posted January 27 I've seen no suggestion that 12.5.8 contains any security fixes - only the cert updates, but Apple aren't that transparent. Assume that they're still EoL!
pete Posted January 27 Posted January 27 ^ 12.5.8 also won't support many apps the schools want to run. Our criteria is: OS receiving security updates? Y/N OS still supported by the MDM platform? Y/N OS can still run the required apps? Y/N If N, replace it or (for the sole exception of the third critera) use it for web browsing and email only.
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