Support has ended, is that a big problem?

[Kraizer]

This may sound foolish to some of you, but hey, we all have to learn somehow! With support ending, meaning no future exploits will be patched, wouldn't a decent anti-virus program suffice? Lets say for the next 10 years a top of the line security company (say bitdefender) continues to support windows XP. Do users really have that much to worry about? If so, then why?

It would seem to be (windows 7/Linux user) that a newer windows OS has equal protection providing the person operating the computer doesn't download every file they set their eyes on.

Someone explain this to me o.o

 

[WinOutreach6]

Kraizer,

The short answer is no, an antivirus program will not suffice. While it is good practice to have antivirus software installed on your computer, it will not be able to protect you from vulnerabilities being exploited by spyware or other malicious software that you may encounter.

The issue with Windows XP now that it is past its end of support date is that when these vulnerabilities are discovered, there won’t be any security patches provided by Microsoft to “plug the hole”. All antivirus software is meant to do is protect you from viruses. Keep in mind, once a vulnerability has been identified, the exploit can come in many different forms and it can get to you in many ways, including through a USB drive.

I hope this helps to answer your question.

Mike
Windows Outreach Team – IT Pro

 

[Saga Lout]

So have I got this right? After thirteen years of XP and millions of sales, Microsoft never got it to a point where they could call it secure?

What does that say for the current and future product range?

Many threats that I deal with in a working day are plain text. No AV utility can prevent a pop up that says "come and look at our wonderful website and give us £200 or we'll block you from the Net". The prevention of that is in the hands of the user - don't go to that site.

PC users should be more careful and their online experience might be interrupted far less.

 

[WinOutreach6]

Saga Lout,

No operating system is going to be without its vulnerabilities. The only way to have a completely secure system, regardless of operating system is to lock it down completely. The problem there is that a system will be rendered almost useless when it is locked down to that point. When it comes to securing a system it all comes down to one thing – risk management.

One of the reasons for Windows XP’s retirement is that it no longer made sense to continue supporting a thirteen year old operating system. Now that we have other more modern operating systems to choose from, these are what we as IT professionals and consumers alike should be focusing on. A good example is Windows 8.1 and its latest update. With the latest in security protection, it’s a good choice for those concerned about security in an ever changing online environment.

I would also like to point out that you are correct in that users should be more careful online. With that said, this can only be accomplished by working harder to educate users about the realities of the risks they may encounter online.

Mike
Windows Outreach Team – IT Pro

 

[rennatnave101]

The end of support for XP simply means Microsoft isn't going to keep pushing out security and software updates for the OS, as said above. If you still want to use XP, that's fine, and it is definitely a good idea to keep some security software on your computer. Be wary of how much personal information you keep on your computer as always, and make sure to backup your data regularly. You the user have more responsibility for keeping your data and computer safe.