On January 14, 2020, Microsoft will end all support for Windows 7. If there are any issues with the Windows 7 Operating system, Microsoft will no longer provide any updates, patches or security fixes. There are over 500 million computers worldwide that are still operating on Windows 7. Businesses and organizations need to ensure that all employees’ computers are updated to the newest system to limit the potential of being hacked.
In Microsoft’s history, there have been other instances when systems have been discontinued and support was no longer offered. These circumstances lead to ideal conditions for hackers because they are able to more easily gain access to these systems that are outdated and do not have the newest and strongest security measures in place.
As organizations continue to use old operating systems, like Windows 7, there continue to be issues and errors that go unaddressed in the software. Once a hacker has found success within one organization’s environment, they will look to replicate the attack on other organizations with similar operating systems.
It is critical that computers operating on Windows 7 be updated immediately to avoid vulnerabilities and threats that the unsupported software could present. If a company fails to change from Windows 7, they could put their organization in an indefensible position if a cyber incident were to arise.