Angel Eyes
03-26-2014, 01:50 AM
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There’s no doubt that Windows XP will soon become one vulnerable operating system, so users running it should either move to a newer platform or take the necessary measures to make sure that their computers won’t get hacked.
The software giant Microsoft, on the other hand, says that consumers who’ll decide to stick to Windows XP after retirement will expose themselves to quite a lot of risks, especially because cybercriminals would most likely attempt to exploit every single vulnerability found in the operating system.
The company has thus created a list of five big risks that could expose your Windows XP computer to hackers after end of support arrives, obviously in an attempt to emphasize that upgrade is absolutely necessary for everyone.
“The types of attacks that we expect to target Windows XP systems after April 8th, 2014 will likely reflect the motivations of modern day attackers. Cybercriminals will work to take advantage of businesses and people running software that no longer has updates available to repair issues,” the company said.
“Over time, attackers will evolve their malicious software, malicious websites, and phishing attacks to take advantage of any newly discovered vulnerabilities in Windows XP, which post April 8th, will no longer be fixed.”
One of the most dangerous activities after Microsoft pulls the plug on Windows XP is surfing the web, with the company claiming that upgrading is basically the only way to remain secure. On the other hand, you can also change the browser with one that’ll still be supported, such as Google Chrome.
In addition, malware links in email and instant messaging clients will also be a threat, and so will removable drives that can be infected with malware attempt to exploit OS vulnerabilities.
Worms targeting zero-day vulnerabilities that Microsoft won’t patch anymore and ransomware are also among the main threats that could take down Windows XP computers after end of support, the company warned.
Of course, the best solution is to switch to Windows 8.1 and thus make sure that your computer is fully protected, but we all know that such a change also involves hardware upgrades and thus the process is clearly more expensive.
At the same time, users could also consider non-Windows platforms, such as Linux, which is often described as a much better replacement for Windows XP, especially because it’s more affordable and it supports older hardware too, without the need for any other upgrades to your system configuration.
There’s no doubt that Windows XP will soon become one vulnerable operating system, so users running it should either move to a newer platform or take the necessary measures to make sure that their computers won’t get hacked.
The software giant Microsoft, on the other hand, says that consumers who’ll decide to stick to Windows XP after retirement will expose themselves to quite a lot of risks, especially because cybercriminals would most likely attempt to exploit every single vulnerability found in the operating system.
The company has thus created a list of five big risks that could expose your Windows XP computer to hackers after end of support arrives, obviously in an attempt to emphasize that upgrade is absolutely necessary for everyone.
“The types of attacks that we expect to target Windows XP systems after April 8th, 2014 will likely reflect the motivations of modern day attackers. Cybercriminals will work to take advantage of businesses and people running software that no longer has updates available to repair issues,” the company said.
“Over time, attackers will evolve their malicious software, malicious websites, and phishing attacks to take advantage of any newly discovered vulnerabilities in Windows XP, which post April 8th, will no longer be fixed.”
One of the most dangerous activities after Microsoft pulls the plug on Windows XP is surfing the web, with the company claiming that upgrading is basically the only way to remain secure. On the other hand, you can also change the browser with one that’ll still be supported, such as Google Chrome.
In addition, malware links in email and instant messaging clients will also be a threat, and so will removable drives that can be infected with malware attempt to exploit OS vulnerabilities.
Worms targeting zero-day vulnerabilities that Microsoft won’t patch anymore and ransomware are also among the main threats that could take down Windows XP computers after end of support, the company warned.
Of course, the best solution is to switch to Windows 8.1 and thus make sure that your computer is fully protected, but we all know that such a change also involves hardware upgrades and thus the process is clearly more expensive.
At the same time, users could also consider non-Windows platforms, such as Linux, which is often described as a much better replacement for Windows XP, especially because it’s more affordable and it supports older hardware too, without the need for any other upgrades to your system configuration.