Microsoft is trying its best to get users away from Windows XP onto newer platforms including Windows 7 and Windows 8 and has been issuing repeated warnings about the operating system’s age and its ability to protect users against latest threats.
Redmond echoed the same sentiment yet again through a warning that the anti-malware and security features in Windows XP are well past their age and that they are no longer adequate to hold up against the slew of modern day attacks that corporations, government organizations and other users face with each passing day.
Recent stats from Netmarketshare reveal that Windows XP is still being used in over 31 percent of systems and Microsoft has warned that users who still continue to use Windows XP past its EOL date of April 8, 2014 are at a risk of incurring high maintenance, upgrade costs and will remain highly vulnerable to malware attacks as hackers are reportedly stockpiling on Windows XP zero-day attacks waiting for the end of life date.
Recently a local privilege escalation bug was discovered in Windows XP that could allow a malicious insider to gain higher-level administrative rights on a system. Microsoft confirmed its existence and revealed that it was looking into the matter. Such a response won’t be available after April 8 deadline.
Microsoft OEM team member Marc Lucas likened the danger of using Windows XP after April 8, 2014 to “driving a car with a faulty airbag that you can’t get spare parts for” notes PCR-online.
