What occurs during the extended support phase of an operating system's life cycle?

During the extended support phase of an operating system's life cycle, the primary focus is on maintaining the system's security and stability rather than adding new features or functions. This phase typically comes after the main stream support phase, during which time new features and functionality might still be introduced. Extended support limits updates to critical security patches and fixes, addressing vulnerabilities that could affect the system’s integrity and user data.

This ensuring of ongoing protection against exploits or security threats is crucial for users and organizations relying on older versions of the operating system, especially in environments where upgrading to a newer version may not be immediately feasible. The provision of security updates during this phase helps to mitigate risks while maintaining system functionality.