[roger_smith]

http://bgr.com/2014/03/31/what-happens-w...port-ends/




Unless you’re already paying Microsoft extra to keep your Windows XP machines safe from malware then you really should upgrade to either Windows 7 or Windows 8 within the next week. Tom’s Guide talks with a couple of security experts about the impending end of support for Windows XP and they conclude that, yes, staying with Windows XP after the April 8th cutoff date will be really, really bad for both you and your computer.

“Every standard desktop-security risk that a computer faces will be amplified, because there are no fixes being written by Microsoft,” Scott Kinka, the CTO at Evolve IP, tells Tom’s Guide. “This involves every form of malware possible. Just assume someone is on your PC while you’re working. Every password, trade secret and bit of personal information is at risk.”

Wolfgang Kandek, the CTO of Qualys, says that any Windows XP stragglers really should at least upgrade to Windows 7 because they’ll still be able to use their old XP applications through the newer platform.

“You don’t have to abandon or change the applications you use just because Windows XP is losing its support — a common misconception,” Kandek tells Tom’s Guide. “Users can simply isolate the applications and run them via the built-in Windows XP Mode within Windows 7 [Professional, Enterprise or Ultimate editions].”

So really, if you are still running XP on your computer and you don’t want to get crushed by malware next week, now is really the time to suck it up and upgrade.

[Cake]

I get how support no longer being provided could mean that malware would be harder for people to get support removing but I don't see how every user is just going to be dominated by malware automatically.

[Shebang]

I get how support no longer being provided could mean that malware would be harder for people to get support removing but I don't see how every user is just going to be dominated by malware automatically.

It doesn't. The title is a dramatization of the actual situation.

[roger_smith]

It doesn't. The title is a dramatization of the actual situation.

That's really the case. I saw this the other day w/ the Word exploit that was just announced, reporters hyping about how bad the issue was and to "not open any RTF files until a patch is released!!!!!1!!!" Yea, ok, whatever.

"Journalists" really like to hype up computer related topics to get their views or whatever.

[Cake]

It doesn't. The title is a dramatization of the actual situation.

That's what I assumed. No one is just going to get infected lel.

[Adorapuff]

XP has been and will always be an exploit hunters gold mine because depending on the service pack DEP evasion is a relative joke compared to later versions like Windows 7. Not providing support will not have any impact on the heckableness of XP.

[Oni]

The operating system wasn't exactly made with security in mind now, was it?