As the Windows XP end of support deadline is draws closer, the European Union has issued a warning to all those users still running the 13 year-old operating system to shift to a newer platform before April 8 if they want their system to be safe and secure.
The European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) at Europol announced today that computer systems running Windows XP after April 8 would become vulnerable to virus and cyber-attacks as there will be no security updates or patches for the operating system after this date.
The notification issued by the EC3 read “This doesn’t mean that computers running Windows XP will stop working. It means that there will be no more security updates, hotfixes, online technical content updates or any kind of technical support for the Windows XP SP3 operating system after this date.”
“This concurs with the end of support for Office 2003. From a user’s perspective, and practically-speaking, this means that newly discovered vulnerabilities in Windows XP and Office 2003 will remain unpatched”.
To be on a safer side, the EC3 has recommended Windows XP users to shift to a different operating system before April 8, in order to avoid unnecessary security risks and serious data breaches.
EC3 has also advised users who are planning to upgrade to contact a technical expert who could provide assistance throughout the process and tell which applications could be used on the new operating system.
Users should also ensure that they properly back up their data before upgrading or changing the operating system, the EU advises.
Users who are unable to upgrade their Windows XP system at the moment should install all OS and Office 2003 updates, including the latest patches to be released by Microsoft on April 8.
They should also install an alternative browser with regular security updates and support, remove any unnecessary software, install an up-to-date antivirus and firewall solution and disconnect the computer from the Internet when not in use.
