14 DAY TRIAL // It's no secret that Windows XP is one of the most used operating systems worldwide, despite the fact that Microsoft is no longer issuing updates and security patches.
The Redmond-based tech giant, however, isn't the only one that wants to kill Windows XP as soon as possible, as some of the security vendors out there are also hoping to see the 13-year-old operating system go in the near future.
F-Secure, for example, which is actually one of the companies whose security products are still working on Windows XP, said through the voice of chief security researcher Mikko Hypponen that Microsoft made the wrong decision when it decided to support this operating system for so much time.
“I can't wait for Windows XP to die. I'm glad Microsoft stopped shipping updates. I'm mad at Microsoft for shipping updates after end of support, it should try and kill this beast. But it's not dead yet,” he was quoted as saying at the F-Secure labs in Helsinki, Finland, by The Inquirer.
Hypponen went on to explain that the difference between Windows XP and Windows 8.1 in terms of security features is enormous, so all those who are yet to upgrade should really have this in mind when deciding to stick to an operating system that no longer receives updates and security patches.
“[There] really is a big difference in security levels between Windows XP and [Windows] 8.1 and we should be getting rid of these old systems. Why didn't [businesses] wake up to this two years ago? It's surprising how slow governments are and also large companies everywhere. [It's] going to take a while to get rid of this headache and I can't wait,” he added.
Hypponen also compared Windows XP to the first versions of Android, explaining that in most cases, even though you're selling a product with weak security, people are still buying it. Both Windows XP and older versions of Android should no longer exist these days, he says, but they're still very much in use right now.
“The fact security sucks doesn't hurt sales. Most phones being sold right now are Android and they are the only mobiles with a mobile malware platform,” he pointed out.
According to figures provided by third-party market researchers, Windows XP is still running on 25 percent of the desktop computers across the world, but figures could drop significantly in the coming months, as more companies complete the transition to a newer OS version.