TIME FOR AN UPGRADE! MICROSOFT STOPS WINDOWS XP SUPPORT, MAKING THE SYSTEM VULNERABLE TO HACKERS

If you’re still using Windows XP, you’re out in the cold. Microsoft has ceased offering support for the outdated software and, according to Microsoft’s research, Windows XP computers are six times more likely to get infected because there will be no more updates to patch holes in the system that can be exploited by hackers.

Granted the operating system is now 12 years old, but this news is leaving many worried about cyberattacks. Microsoft will no longer provide security updates that patch holes in the software so if hackers find bugs in XP, they will be able to exploit them easily. Many are concerned since Windows XP is still widely used on devices that store sensitive data and by computers controlling municipal lights and water.

What’s even more troubling, an estimated 95 percent of bank ATMs operate on XP. “GE Intelligent Platforms, which sells industrial software, discovered 75 percent of its utility customers still use it. Cybersecurity provider Cylance says one of its clients is a major hospital where XP is still on more than 100,000 devices, including computers that hold patient records,” reports CNNMoney.

And according to Greg Rosenberg, a security engineer at Trustwave, point-of-sale systems at about 30 percent of retail stores. Remember Target’s massive security breach? It could happen again.

Those still using the old system are advised to upgrade. Select an operating system that still receives updates from Microsoft, the best option being Windows 8. Microsoft will reportedly continue to support it until 2023.

Microsoft will be adding Windows 8′s missing start button in the next update. The company is also giving away $100 in credits for new PCs.

XP users are already migrating to newer systems. “From early 2013 to 2014, the share of computers using XP dropped from 35 percent to 14 percent, according to cloud security provider Qualys,” reports CNN. That number is expected to drop to 10 percent by the end of April.

Transportation and health care sectors slashed their Windows XP usage a great deal. The Defense, Labor and Home Security departments have been spending millions to upgrade from XP, found a CNNMoney review.

Experts advise even small business owners to invest in an upgrade. “The majority of folks in these industries aren’t technical. They want to serve food, sell widgets and keep doors open,” said Trustwave director Christopher Pogue. “If there are vulnerabilities identified, there’s going to be no defending against it.”

Source:
madamenoire.com

Posted by Editorial Team on 10:10 AM in 12 years old, CNNMoney, computers, cyberattacks, Microsoft, outdated, PCs, software, Windows 8, Windows XP

Windows XP Support Ends; How to Stay Safe with Unpatched OS

The 13-year old Microsoft operating system has finally been laid to rest by its creator, at least in terms of support.

With Microsoft ending support for the Windows XP, users running devices on the operating system will be vulnerable to tons of malware and all other sorts of cyber attacks. The company has since urged Windows XP users to upgrade from the old OS.PC World notes that Microsoft has been doing so for 7 years, when the company has set the April 8, 2014 out-of-support date.

However, not all users have heeded the advice of Microsoft, compromising their businesses and personal data. Tim Rains of the Microsoft Security Blog has dished a short list of risks for users running the unprotected OS, along with some helpful tips to help contain threats.

According to him, small businesses and consumers should limit the websites that Windows XP-powered devices go to or altogether quit using Windows XP to surf the internet. "Surfing the Internet on Windows XP based systems after April 8th, 2014 will become more risky as new exploits for Windows XP are distributed among attackers via exploit kits," he warns.

Users of Windows XP-run devices are also advised to avoid using the system for sending and receiving email, which is another port of entry for cyber attacks. Using the system for email purposes might put consumers at risk for phishing attacks, malicious emails and IMs, says Rains.

Removable drives such as USBs also put out-of-support Windows XP systems at risk. Malware-infected USB drives might get past firewalls and passwords, eventually compromising the entire system.

Businesses are strongly advised to back-up data from possible ransomware infection, notes Rains. According to him, ransomware is a type of attack wherein small businesses and even consumers lose access to important data or systems. Backing-up data will allow for system restoration and possible recovery.

Rains notes that the suggestions are only for partial risk management and to contain possible damage. He adds that the best option is to migrate to a modern operating system like Windows 7 or Windows 8 that have a decade of evolved security mitigations built in and will be supported after April 8, 2014. 

Source:

www.latinospost.com

Posted by Editorial Team on 2:54 AM in damage, Microsoft, PC World, Rains, Security Blog, Support Ends, Unpatched OS, USBs, Windows 7, Windows XP

A Goodbye to Windows XP

We here at Big Shiny Robot would like to give a warm send off to the little operating system that could, Windows XP. As of today (April 8, 2014) Microsoft has ended support for the operating system that kept on chugging. It was the OS that could because it was beloved, even after some fairly large gripes about the changes to the start menu. XP was a fairly stable after some initial service packs and it quickly became the OS of choice for most of the world. It was also the OS that could because of the miserable adoption rate of Windows Vista and the lukewarm embrace of the Windows 8 operating system by businesses.

Windows XP had an incredibly long life cycle as a supported OS by Microsoft mostly due to businesses unwillingness to let it go. Many legacy applications that worked just fine were slow to upgrade or become certified on the Windows 7 platform. Windows 7 is by and large the de facto operating system for companies but that may change with Windows 8.1 and future updates to Windows 8 planned by Microsoft. Although the start menu became larger and included an unwieldy pin list, consumers eventually came around to the XP GUI changes. Microsoft hoped the same would happen with Windows 8 mostly because their research showed that users rarely used the start button in XP any longer. Even with the enhanced search ability of Windows 7, most users still pinned applications to their task bar or accessed applications from shortcuts on their desktop. Microsoft had hoped that creating application launching tiles with live updated data from the applications themselves would win over consumers, but adoption has been slower than they had wanted.

FOR THE USERS STILL ON XP, THE FUTURE HAS MOVED AT AN INCREASINGLY RAPID RATE

Still, Microsoft extended the support for XP to an incredible twelve and a half years hoping people would make the switch to Windows 8.1. Now Microsoft is allowing businesses to purchase OEM copies of Windows 7 and for manufacturers to sell new PC’s with Windows 7 pre-installed. That meant the old OS that kept on chugging up that hill was meant for retirement on the other side. That means no security updates from Microsoft, and that is a harrowing thought for anyone who supports XP or still owns a machine with XP installed on it. Many companies are refusing to update to a newer OS, even with their operations teams pleading the case for upgrades. According to CRN in the UK, the UK government has paid Microsoft nearly £5.5M to extend their support for Windows XP another year.

Others are left in the dust of the digital age and really, can we feel sorry for them? The average expentency of an OS lifetime is 3 years. Apple has updated their OSX operating sytem with large changes on an average of 18 month cycle. Competitive Linux distributions like Ubuntu and Mint OS have made their update cycle even less. With those influences, Microsoft has said they’re committed to making even more frequent updates to Windows. That could mean big things for the future as Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has just announced at the Microsoft Build conference that Windows will be free for devices with screens under nine inches. As Microsoft has tried to take a page from Android in having a unified OS on all devices they’ve also committed themselves to a mobile community used to yearly updates to core operating system services and functionality. For the users still on XP, the future has moved at an increasingly rapid rate to the point that their stubbornness or comfort with their system is simply too old to be safe or efficient in the modern “Internet of Things”.

GOODBYE OLD FRIEND, MOST OF US WILL NOT MISS YOU BUT WE THANK YOU FOR ALL THE GREAT TIMES.

All of that doesn’t matter to those that are happy with their computer and Windows XP. They’re left to wonder if they’ll be able to stay secure or if they’ll be forced to update. In the end, if they do decide to change but only ant to upgrade their operating system. What then are the options for anyone unwilling to toast to Windows XP’s retirement? Users could opt for a distribution of Linux that can run on older hardware. While newer versions of the more popular distributions of Linux have actually struggled to keep pace with the speed of Windows 8.1, many distributions such as Puppy Linux or Ubuntu Lite run great on old hardware. Those Linux distributions are continuously updated with security and feature improvements and they’ll run faster on older hardware than Windows XP could ever hope to have run. Others will think it’s time to jump into a new OS so they may as well try Apple.

The truth to that argument though, is that users who have refused to update are going to have to settle for slower or smaller machines such as a 21.5 inch all in one iMac or the underpowered Macbook Air starting at a thousand dollars. To those users who are on a budget, they’ll find the new Apple OS familiar with features similar to Windows XP but with the benefit of the very useful Dock, Launch Pad, Spotlight and Mission Control. The OS though, is feeling a bit aged and the Mavericks refresh last fall didn’t help that situation at all. Other options for those on a budget may be a tablet or a Chrome Book. Users who are more used to being connected will probably opt for anything other than a Chrome Book despite its enhanced system security features.

With most of the Windows XP issue being an issue for those that aren’t tech savvy, many tech users have friends and family who are still using Windows XP. Those users were comfortable and had moved on from Internet Explorer to Chrome or Firefox so their internet traffic is probably safe, but without security support, will those friends and family soon be calling? Having to throw out a beloved old pair of shoes is tough because they fit just right and have seen you through many miles. The same could be said for Windows XP and peoples attachment to it. Everything has it’s time to go though, and April 8, 2014 was Windows XP’s time. Goodbye old friend, most of us will not miss you but we thank you for all the great times.

Image from blog.backupbob.com

Source:

www.bigshinyrobot.com

Posted by Editorial Team on 12:57 AM in Big Shiny, CRN, Goodbye, Microsoft, Robot, shortcuts, UK, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows XP

Dutch government pays millions to extend Microsoft XP support

Summary: The Dutch government has followed the United Kingdom’s lead, signing a multimillion Euro deal with Microsoft for the company to continue providing support for its Windows XP systems.

The government of the Netherlands has struck a multimillion Euro deal with Microsoft to secure continued support for its Windows XP systems, according to a report published on 4 April in Dutch News.

According to the report, the deal will provide support for around 34,000 and 40,000 Dutch national government civil servants still using Windows XP machines until next January, when all government PCs are scheduled to be migrated to a new system.

Microsoft is ceasing all security updates and technical support for its Windows XP system on 8 April, leaving those still using the platform potentially exposed to security threats.

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The move by the Dutch government follows a similar deal the software giant struck with the United Kingdom government.

It was announced last week that the UK governmentagreed to pay more than £5.6 million to Microsoft to continue its support for Windows XP by one year.

The deal is expected to see Microsoft provide security updates for XP, Office 2003, and Exchange 2003 software being used on UK public sector PCs.

The UK government said it expects the majority of its organisations to migrate away from the XP platform by April 2015.

According to Microsoft, people running PCs with Windows XP after 8 April should consider their PCs unprotected and should to try to migrate to a more recent supported operating system.

In a statement, Microsoft said millions of businesses and individuals throughout the Asia Pacific region are still using the 12-year-old operating system. According to Jason Lim, Microsoft’s general manager of Windows business group, these users could be exposed to security risks.

"It's really critical that consumers who still own Windows XP devices recognise that it's not just about upgrading to something new," said Lim in a statement last month.

"This is about protecting your PC from security threats, especially if you are using the internet. Windows XP wasn't designed for today's mobile, always-connected lives, or for protecting businesses and individuals from the millions of new online security threats that have emerged," he said.

Back in October 2012, the Australian government warned its departments that Microsoft would be discontinuing its support for Windows XP Service Pack 3 and MS Office 2003 from 8 April this year.

In a statement published by the Department of Defence's Cyber Security Operations Centre in 2012, the government told its agencies they would be vulnerable to attacks if they did not upgrade from the Windows XP system by April 2014.

However, the government also told its agencies that — for a premium — they could sign a deal with Microsoft directly for continued support of the XP system.

"Agencies unable to upgrade by 8 April 2014 may have the option of entering into a custom support contact with Microsoft. The cost of custom support is significantly higher than regular support and will continue to rise," the statement said.

While the Australian government might have been onto the migration away from Windows XP years ago, banks around the world are still using the Windows XP Embedded system in many of their ATMs.

However, Microsoft has given banks using XP Embedded until January 2016 to upgrade before it cuts support.

Source:

www.zdnet.com

Posted by Editorial Team on 6:32 AM in Dutch government, government, Microsoft XP, multimillion, Office 2003, pays millions, technical support, UK government, Windows XP, XP systems

Apple Kills Snow Leopard: OS X 10.6 No Longer Receives Security Updates

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) has finally released Snow Leopard to the wild to fend for itself.

When the Cupertino, Calif.-based company released a security update for its OS X operating system, it did not include a patch for version 10.6, better known as Snow Leopard. Apple did provide updates for the latest version, Mavericks (10.9) as well as Mountain Lion (10.8) and Lion (10.7).

The 2009 version of Apple’s desktop and laptop operating system was very popular among users. Computer World estimated that 19 percent of Macs still run on Snow Leopard while only 16 percent run its successor, Lion.

This also means that nearly one out of five Mac computers are now vulnerable to 21 security weaknesses that Apple fixed with the latest update. This is especially troubling considering Apple doesn’t have an official policy for when it stops supporting operating systems and hasn’t let users know that their computers are now vulnerable.

Apple has made no official statement that it is ending support for Snow Leopard, like Microsoft did with Windows XP earlier this month, but this is pretty par for the course for Apple. Apple traditionally only provides updates for its newest operating system and its immediate predecessor, meaning Snow Leopard should have lost Apple’s care back when Mountain Lion shipped in 2012.

Instead, Apple has weaned Snow Leopard off its support by refusing to provide security updates. Apple didn’t provide a patch for Safari 5.1.10, the latest version of Apple’s browser supported by Snow Leopard, when it repaired Safari 6 and 7 in December.

No actual Snow Leopards were harmed in the making of this article. 

News Source: www.ibtimes.com

Posted by Editorial Team on 4:40 AM in Apple Kills, Apple’s desktop, laptop, Leopard, Mavericks, OS X 10.6, Safari 5.1.10, Security Updates, Snow Leopard, Windows XP