14 DAY TRIAL // Windows XP support will come to an end on April 8, so unless you’ve already moved to another operating system, this could be the right time to at least start thinking about doing it.
Even though Windows XP won’t receive any other security updates and patches beyond April, several security vendors have already pledged to support this OS version after retirement, thus adding extra protection to users sticking to XP.
Symantec, for example, has confirmed for ZDNet that Windows XP support will continue to be offered to users after April 8, but the company has actually refused to provide any time frame for this.
“Symantec's Norton products will continue to support Windows XP for the foreseeable future, and we also offer enterprise products that lock down applications, configuration settings and resources so that malicious code and vulnerabilities cannot be exploited,” a company spokesperson explained.
Symantec, however, warned that sticking to Windows XP and running up-to-date anti-virus software isn’t enough to remain protected, especially because cyber criminals would focus on newly-found vulnerabilities that could be exploited to run malicious code.
“However, customers need to know that in addition to running the most up-to-date security products, another important aspect of protecting their systems is keeping them current with the latest OS service pack and patches,” Symantec also noted in the statement.
“Because Microsoft has announced they will no longer publish patches beyond the formal end of life for Windows XP, these systems may become targets for cybercriminals, particularly if new vulnerabilities are discovered in the OS. Therefore Symantec strongly recommends Windows XP customers to upgrade to a more current OS as soon as possible.”
Windows XP is at this point powering 28 percent of the desktop computers worldwide, but Microsoft wants to cut its market share down to 13 percent by April. It remains to be seen, however, how many users are actually ready to make the move to a new OS.