14 DAY TRIAL // With Windows XP’s retirement date quickly approaching, Microsoft and security experts across the world are urging those still running the ancient platform to update to a newer operating system and thus keep their computers fully secure.
Sure, this is not a new thing and everybody still running Windows XP knows it very well but, until now, the number of those who have decided to abandon their current operating system and deploy a newer piece of software is still low.
Trend Micro Security Director Rik Ferguson told V3 in an interview that the number of Windows XP users who switch to Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 is very likely to skyrocket once a new vulnerability is found in the aging OS version and Microsoft no longer provides patches. This means that users who’ll want to stay safe will have no other option than to upgrade, he said.
“The first major exploit that hits the headlines is really going to drive the point home and convince those at the board level or in the executive team it is worth putting time and money into upgrading systems to avoid suffering the same fate,” said Ferguson.
“There will vulnerabilities that will be exploited – that is a given. It would be short-sighted to claim all the vulnerabilities have been found, because there will still be exploits.”
Despite all of Microsoft’s efforts to encourage users to adopt a new OS version, Windows XP still has a market share of 29 percent, so it’s pretty obvious that the transition to Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 won’t be completed in time for the April retirement.
That’s not at all a good thing, Microsoft said with several occasions, especially because an unpatched operating system is more like an open door for hackers. Third-party security vendors out there have already announced extended support for Windows XP, so the majority of anti-virus products and firewalls on the market will continue to run on this particular OS version after the April end of support.
As far as the number of users who are planning to migrate is concerned, we’re hearing from users that upgrading is not an option right now, especially because Windows 8.1 remains a rather unfriendly operating system and many are planning to wait for Windows 9 before making a decision and choosing their next destination. Windows 9 is expected to launch in early 2015 and bring a lot of improvements, including a new Start Menu.