SharePoint 2016 and 2019: Support Has Ended

If your business runs Microsoft SharePoint Server on its own infrastructure – whether that is an in-house server or a managed hosted environment – there is something you need to act on: as of 14 July 2026, both SharePoint Server 2016 and SharePoint Server 2019 have officially reached end of support.

That means Microsoft has stopped issuing security updates for both versions. Any new vulnerabilities discovered in SharePoint Server 2016 or 2019 will not be patched. Your documents, intranet, and collaboration tools are now exposed to risks that will only grow over time.

The timing could not be worse

The end-of-support date and a significant security alert landed on the same day. On 14 July 2026, the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) – the body responsible for protecting US federal infrastructure, and one whose advisories are closely followed by the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) – issued an urgent alert urging organisations to harden on-premises SharePoint Server after confirming that threat actors are actively exploiting SharePoint vulnerabilities in real-world attacks.

Businesses running SharePoint 2016 or 2019 have no way to receive patches that would fix those vulnerabilities. The timing is not a coincidence – attackers routinely target software that has just gone out of support, because they know the fixes will never arrive.

There is no safety net

With some end-of-support scenarios, Microsoft provides a bridge. Windows Server 2012, for example, offered up to three years of paid Extended Security Updates (ESU) for businesses that needed more time to migrate. There is no equivalent for SharePoint Server 2016 or 2019. When support ended on 14 July, it ended completely. There is nothing to purchase that keeps these versions patched.

SQL Server 2016 also reached end of support on 14 July 2026 – but that product is in a different position. ESU is available for SQL Server 2016 through to July 2029, which gives businesses more time to plan a database migration. SharePoint has no such option.

Who is affected

You are likely affected if:

• Your business runs SharePoint Server 2016 or SharePoint Server 2019 on your own servers or through a managed host
• You use SharePoint as a company intranet, document management system, or team collaboration platform
• Your IT provider has not already migrated you to a supported version

If you access SharePoint through a Microsoft 365 subscription – sometimes called SharePoint Online – you are not affected. Cloud SharePoint is managed and patched by Microsoft continuously.

Your migration options

There are two main paths forward:

SharePoint Server Subscription Edition

Microsoft’s current on-premises SharePoint release uses an “evergreen” model – rather than numbered versions released every few years, it receives continuous updates similar to how Windows 11 works. It is the right choice for organisations with data residency requirements, regulatory constraints, or connectivity limitations that make cloud storage unsuitable.

SharePoint Online (Microsoft 365)

Moving to the cloud removes the burden of server maintenance and patching entirely. SharePoint Online is always on the current version, integrates tightly with Teams, OneDrive, and the rest of the Microsoft 365 ecosystem, and reduces long-term demands on your IT team. For most SMBs, this is the more sustainable option.

Migration timelines vary considerably. A straightforward migration can take two to three months; one involving custom workflows, integrations, or large document libraries may take six to twelve months. That is why starting now matters – even if you cannot complete the migration immediately, beginning the assessment prevents a manageable project from becoming a crisis.

What to do right now

1. Confirm your SharePoint version. Your IT team or provider should be able to tell you straight away. You can also check by going to Site Settings within SharePoint, where the version number is listed.
2. If you are on 2016 or 2019, treat this as urgent. You are running server software that is under active attack and will receive no further patches.
3. Assess your destination. Consider whether on-premises (Subscription Edition) or cloud (SharePoint Online) better fits your business and compliance requirements over the next five years.
4. Begin migration planning. Even if the full migration takes several months, starting the scoping now protects your business in the meantime.

How System Force IT can help

We manage Microsoft 365 and SharePoint environments for businesses across Gloucestershire and the UK. If you are running SharePoint Server 2016 or 2019, we can audit your current setup, advise on the right migration path, and carry out the migration with minimal disruption to your team.

As a UKAS-certified ISO/IEC 27001 organisation, we take data handling during migrations seriously – proper documentation, clear audit trails, and no data left in unsecured states at any stage of the process.

Get in touch to discuss your SharePoint situation. You can also find out more about our managed IT services, IT security services, and cloud systems support.

For an overview of how we keep client environments current and protected day to day, see our IT support and maintenance services.