14 DAY TRIAL // Windows XP is no longer receiving updates and security patches, but that's still not enough to convince 28 percent of the desktop users worldwide to upgrade to another operating system.
In fact, some are still calling for Microsoft to keep Windows XP alive, while others claim that releasing the source code of the operating system and let communities out there and security vendors roll out patches would be a much helpful decision for those who are yet to upgrade.
Of course, Microsoft has absolutely no intention to do that and, according to an analyst speaking with Forbes on the subject, “pigs will need air traffic controllers” before the Windows XP source code is released to the public.
“This would set a precedent for all past and future end-of-life Microsoft products and surely it’s not likely that a commercial software company is going to suddenly feel generous. Not to mention I’m certain they would not feel like opening the kimono for all their dirty laundry of old code to be seen by the entire world,” Andrew Storms, senior director of DevOps for CloudPassage, says.
One of the problems for Windows XP users is the overall cost of the transition to another operating system, pretty much because older computers running it cannot cope with the requirements of a modern platform.
A Windows XP machine, for example, lacks the necessary equipment to run Windows 8.1, so users clearly need to upgrade their systems or purchase new computers. That's very expensive, some users complained, but it's pretty much the only way to stay completely secure without Windows XP Support.
Unsurprisingly, Microsoft is continuously releasing warnings for those still on XP, saying that no third-party application out there can protect their computers, no matter how often it's updated or how powerful it actually is.
“If you continue to use Windows XP now that support has ended, your computer will still work but it might become more vulnerable to security risks and viruses. Internet Explorer 8 is also no longer supported, so if your Windows XP PC is connected to the Internet and you use Internet Explorer 8 to surf the web, you might be exposing your PC to additional threats,” Microsoft says.
On the other hand, security vendors are recommending users to keep an up-to-date anti-virus solution running on Windows XP machines and replace Internet Explorer with a browser that still receives updates, just to make sure that they do not come across compromised websites supposed to exploit browser vulnerabilities.