According to the Boston Globe (March 13, 2014) almost 30% of the world’s desktop computers run Microsoft Corp.’s Windows XP, as do 95% of the world’s ATMs (per ATM maker NCR Corp.).
However, on April 8, 2014, Microsoft will stop providing technical support for the software. After the XP sunset, there won’t be any further updates or security patches, and protecting any sensitive data you may have from online piracy may prove to be difficult. You may become a ticking time bomb.
Microsoft will continue to update the XP version of its free Security Essentials program until July 2015. Other security software makers will do the same, but virus programs usually filter out attacks only after the damage is done. Besides, the security flaw that made the attack possible will still be present.
In addition, they’re saying that one single compromised computer in the home or office network exposes all the other computers to attack.
So what are your options?
1. Buy a new computer
2. Install the open operating system, Linux, as an easy interface with Windows
3. Complete a full Windows upgrade, with computers running on Windows 7 instead of Windows 8 which has been labeled by many as user-unfriendly.
4. Purchase an external harddrive and use it to back up all files on your old machine
Source: http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2014/03/12/for-windows-end-nigh-and-that-good/XH7GAsQ9Xs3IpXzDu2wrcO/story.html
(Photo: Sunset background courtesy of Kevin Dooley on Flickr.)