and protected with a strong password as their firmware will stop receiving security fixes and tech support after April 15, 2022. In fact, WD has similar advice to owners of incompatible models, noting that drives running on My Cloud OS 3 and older should be backed up, disconnected from the internet. NAS models like the My Cloud EX2 Ultra and PR2100 are upgradeable, while 'not supported' models include the likes of My Book Live/Live Duo series that came under attack earlier this year, forcing users to unplug their drives from the internet for safety. The company also shared a list of drives compatible with My Cloud OS 5, and a guide to upgrading to the latest firmware. The development follows WD's decision to end support for older My Cloud OS versions to keep up with evolving security standards.
To that end, WD recently put out a security update, in which it 'strongly' encouraged owners of My Cloud drives to upgrade to the latest firmware so that they can continue to remotely access their drives and receive security fixes in the future. Having a 'connected' drive you're likely keeping for backup isn't ideal in terms of data security however, the feature is certainly convenient for users who want access to their content across more devices and places. Meanwhile, drives unable to upgrade will stop receiving security fixes and support for their older firmware by mid-April. As a result, drive owners still running older firmware versions - My Cloud OS 3 and prior - have been strongly advised to upgrade their compatible models to My Cloud OS 5 by mid-January in order to receive security fixes, tech support and retain remote access capability. The big picture: Western Digital announced last week that it's dropping support for older versions of My Cloud OS, the software used for managing My Cloud drives.