Windows XP and Office 2003:Scheduled Retirement Invites Hackers

When Microsoft retires Windows XP on April 8, 2014, security experts say that the aged operating system will be open to hackers.

This means that XP users must take action. After retirement, Microsoft states that there will be "no new security updates, non-security hotfixes, free or paid assisted support options or online technical content updates."

Why Microsoft will End Support for Windows XP

In 2002 Microsoft introduced its "Support Lifecycle" policy in response to customers asking for more "transparency and predictability of support for Microsoft products". So Microsoft business and developer products, including Windows and Office products, are given a minimum of 10 years of support (5 years Mainstream Support and 5 years Extended Support). So, time is up.

What Retirement Means for Windows XP Users

So what does end of support mean to customers? XP users will be vulnerable to security hacks unless they upgrade their operating system. Here are a few details from microsoft.com:

"Running Windows XP SP3 and Office 2003 in your environment after their end of support date may expose your company to potential risks, such as:

·         Security & Compliance Risks: Unsupported and unpatched environments are vulnerable to security risks. This may result in an officially recognized control failure by an internal or external audit body, leading to suspension of certifications, and/or public notification of the organization’s inability to maintain its systems and customer information.

·         Lack of Independent Software Vendor (ISV) & Hardware Manufacturers support: A recent industry report from Gartner Research suggests 'many independent software vendors (ISVs) are unlikely to support new versions of applications on Windows XP in 2011; in 2012, it will become common.' And it may stifle access to hardware innovation: Gartner Research further notes that in 2012, most PC hardware manufacturers will stop supporting Windows XP on the majority of their new PC models."

(Source: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/endofsupport.aspx)

Retirement Opens the Door to Hackers

According to many security experts, cyber criminals will wait until Microsoft retires XP and stops patching the outdated operating system before they unleash their "exploit code" (security and compliance bugs). Then hackers will sell their code to hackers or release the exploits themselves on unprotected PCs.

Tim Rains, Microsoft's Director of Trustworthy Computing wrote, "After April 8, 2014, organizations that continue to run Windows XP won’t have this advantage over attackers any longer. The very first month that Microsoft releases security updates for supported versions of Windows, attackers will reverse engineer those updates, find the vulnerabilities and test Windows XP to see if it shares those vulnerabilities. If it does, attackers will attempt to develop exploit code that can take advantage of those vulnerabilities on Windows XP."

Without official patching from Microsoft, “XP hacker attacks and their associated exploits could remain effective for months, maybe even years, depending on how well security software detects and quarantines such attacks”.

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If you or your business has any computers running Windows XP or Office 2003 (or older), it is advisable to immediately begin making plans for replacement.  Contact VBL Technologies to develop a migration strategy to minimize disruption and keep costs to a minimum.

To learn more about migration and deployment options, please contact VBL Technologies, a Certified Microsoft Partner, at 252.491.8306.

For more Contact:

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