14 DAY TRIAL // Windows XP continues to be the second most-used operating system worldwide after Windows 7, and many users have absolutely no intention to upgrade in the coming months, despite the warnings coming from both Microsoft and security vendors.
Today, Sophos issued a new warning for those still running Windows XP, saying that tomorrow Microsoft won't be releasing any updates or patches for this particular OS version. As a result, upgrading from Windows XP to a platform that still receives support from Microsoft is the only option, it said.
“There are no patches for XP users, not for IE, and not for any other component of Windows, just like Microsoft announced some seven years ago,” Sophos said.
This month's Patch Tuesday cycle will bring 8 security updates, six of which are rated as “important.” There are no patches for Windows XP, which officially reached end of support on April 8, so in case any vulnerabilities are found, computers running it could become vulnerable to attacks overnight.
Sophos says that those who have no other option than to run Windows XP should use dedicated software to block the computer from browsing the web, or at least to replace Internet Explorer with Firefox or other browser.
“Our advice for XP diehards, as always, is: 1. Don't run XP; 2. If you have to run XP, use Application Control to prevent the computer being used for browsing or other interactive online work; 3. If you have to browse from XP (and, let's face it, you don't), use a browser like Firefox or Chromium that is still being updated; 4. GOTO 1,” it said.
Kasper Lindgaard, director of Research and Security at Secunia, recently warned that this month's Patch Tuesday could be a double-edged sword, as it could fix a number of issues found in newer Windows versions but, at the same time, it might be used by hackers to find similar vulnerabilities in Windows XP.
Microsoft usually finds the same security flaws in the majority of its Windows operating systems, so in case a vulnerability is found in both Windows 7 and Windows XP this month, only the former is getting an update, while the latter remains completely vulnerable, no matter the third-party security software running on your PC.
Windows XP is at this point installed on 26 percent of the desktop computers worldwide, but figures are likely to drop soon as more large companies are completing the migration to a newer OS version.