[gui-talk] Windows XP less Secure

[Baracco, Andrew W]

>From kim Komando.


 


Windows XP somehow just got LESS secure


By Justin Ferris 

What do you think about this?

 

It's been 16 months since Microsoft stopped rolling out security updates
for the 14-year-old Windows XP and left it to the mercy of hackers and
other online threats. We knew that was going to happen well in advance,
which is why we at Komando.com spent an entire year warning you to
upgrade to a more secure system.

Most of you listened, but I know there are still a few holdouts; Google
claims 17% of its users still have XP. You might know a relative or two
yourself who refuses to upgrade. Now you can add this news to the
already long list of reasons not to use XP anymore.

-advertisement- 

Even though Microsoft stopped releasing security fixes for Windows XP,
it was still updating its Microsoft Security Essentials anti-virus
program and Windows' built-in malicious software removal tool with new
virus signatures. That at least gave XP some level of protection, even
though Microsoft admitted it wouldn't be enough to stop a serious hack.

This week, however, Microsoft stopped pushing out those updates. That
means XP won't detect or stop any new virus created from now on, and
there are hundreds of new viruses created every day.

On the plus side, Google is still updating its products for XP until the
end of 2015
<http://www.komando.com/happening-now/304585/windows-xp-users-a-little-g
ood-news-along-with-big-risks> , but it's one of the last companies to
do so. That's one reason it's costing the U.S. Navy $9 million a year to
keep XP on its computers.
<http://www.komando.com/happening-now/315010/the-u-s-navy-is-blowing-9-m
illion-a-year-on-windows-xp> 

If you're still using Windows XP as anything other than a standalone
computer completely disconnected from the Internet and any networks,
it's time to upgrade. Windows 10 is coming out at the end of the month
<http://www.komando.com/small-business/315432/how-to-get-your-windows-10
-upgrade> , and it's much faster and more secure.

 

-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: ~WRD000.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 823 bytes
Desc: ~WRD000.jpg
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/gui-talk_nfbnet.org/attachments/20150717/442b77b7/attachment.jpg>