14 DAY TRIAL // Windows 7 will receive its last set of updates tomorrow, after which it’ll officially be considered an unsupported operating system.
More than 1 in 4 computers out there still run Windows 7, which is worrying, to say the least, especially as an OS that no longer receives security updates means it’s more of a sitting duck for hackers.
Vulnerabilities that aren’t fixed in Windows 7 will allow hackers to break into devices running it more easily, albeit it’s worth knowing that the lack of security updates doesn’t necessarily mean a computer is a certain victim.
Users still running Windows 7 can follow a series of recommendations to improve the security of their devices, including installing and running up-to-date security software and avoiding accessing content coming from untrusted sources. New firewall rules to limit the Internet access, as well as micropatches released by companies such as 0patch could also come in handy when it comes to blocking exploits that would otherwise help hackers access your data.
Windows 7 market share
NetMarketShare data for the month of December indicated that Windows 7 was the second most-used desktop operating system with a share of 26.64%. Windows 10 was the leading choice with 54.62%.
The market share of Windows 7, however, is unlikely to decline too quickly in the coming months, as the transition to Windows 10 takes place rather slowly due to a number of reasons.
First, there are users who don’t want to upgrade and decide to stick with Windows 7 despite the obvious security risks rather than install Windows 10. Then, there are companies that need to move entire fleets of devices to Windows 10, with the process often including the acquisition of new hardware that makes the investment costlier.
For now, Windows 7 just seems to become the new Windows XP, with a significant number of users likely to continue running it after tomorrow’s last round of patches. For what it’s worth, Windows XP currently has a market share of 1.16%.