Microsoft is set to pull the plug on Windows XP on April 8 this year and along with that it will also abandon Security Essentials for Windows XP, the company has revealed.
The decision to abandon Microsoft Security Essentials comes in the form of a quiet update on Windows website. Microsoft wrote that it has been supporting Windows XP for the past 11 years and now was the time to invest in resources in new technologies that will deliver great experience to its users.
Redmond noted that after April 8, 2014 no technical assistance and automatic updates including security updates will be extended to Windows XP.
“Microsoft will also stop providing Microsoft Security Essentials for download on Windows XP on this date”, wrote Microsoft.
This comes as a shock to businesses who may have decided to keep on using Windows XP beyond the EOL by opting for an annual subscription at a hefty cost. Microsoft’s decision means that users should start looking for alternatives in the form of Windows 7 or Windows 8 and abandon Windows XP at the earliest.
Microsoft has dictated a few recommendations for users to keep themselves secure, but considering that OS level updates and updates for Microsoft Security Essentials will not be present, there is very little that users can do to keep themselves secure from the vulnerabilities of an outdated OS.
Lets not forget that there is another free alternative to Windows XP. One that will allow users to keep their existing computer. It is also more secure and faster than Windows. This alternative is Linux.