penicillin
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- Feb 27, 2019
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A WARNING TO THOSE RUNNING WINDOWS XP, WINDOWS VISTA, or WINDOWS 7:
If you are still connecting to websites from your Windows XP, Vista, or Windows 7 computers. It is time to stop using it and upgrade your computer. Microsoft does NOT release security updates for those older Windows operating systems, and has not done so for years. Support for Windows 7 ended in January 2020. Support for Windows Vista and Windows XP support ended years before that.
Approximately 1/3 of all security vulnerabilities that Microsoft finds in Windows 10 also exist in those earlier versions of Windows. Microsoft releases fixes for those vulnerabilities for Windows 10. Many of the same vulnerabilities exist in your Windows XP, Vista, or Windows 7 computer. They will never get fixed on those older Windows systems, leaving them vulnerable to attack.
Hackers look at the fixes for Windows 10 to see whether they may apply to older Windows computers. It doesn't take long to use a Microsoft fix to develop "exploits" to hack your vulnerable Windows XP, Vista, or Windows 7 computer the next time you browse the internet. Your computer can be attacked from a perfectly legitimate website, from a third-party ad that they know nothing about, but is displayed on their web page.
Got it? Suffice it to say that I have some small experience in this area.
NOTE:
I created this thread to avoid hijacking another computer-related thread. In that thread, the OP posted that they had been running Windows XP until recently, which prompted this post.
If others reply here to say that it is okay to continue using those systems, I respectfully disagree. They may tell you that they are running Windows XP and have never been hacked. The fact that they are running Windows XP tells me that they are not likely to know whether they have been hacked. Others may tell you that some magic third-party anti-virus, anti-malware, or other products will protect you. Don't believe the hype. I have heard all the arguments before.
I can cite many examples of people who ignored the warning, and later were crying that their systems were infected. In some cases they lost all their data to ransomware.
-> I have said all I have to say and do not intend to respond to additional posts in this thread. If others disagree, it is their right, but they are wrong. Believe me, or not. It doesn't matter to me. It is your computer.
If you are still connecting to websites from your Windows XP, Vista, or Windows 7 computers. It is time to stop using it and upgrade your computer. Microsoft does NOT release security updates for those older Windows operating systems, and has not done so for years. Support for Windows 7 ended in January 2020. Support for Windows Vista and Windows XP support ended years before that.
Approximately 1/3 of all security vulnerabilities that Microsoft finds in Windows 10 also exist in those earlier versions of Windows. Microsoft releases fixes for those vulnerabilities for Windows 10. Many of the same vulnerabilities exist in your Windows XP, Vista, or Windows 7 computer. They will never get fixed on those older Windows systems, leaving them vulnerable to attack.
Hackers look at the fixes for Windows 10 to see whether they may apply to older Windows computers. It doesn't take long to use a Microsoft fix to develop "exploits" to hack your vulnerable Windows XP, Vista, or Windows 7 computer the next time you browse the internet. Your computer can be attacked from a perfectly legitimate website, from a third-party ad that they know nothing about, but is displayed on their web page.
Got it? Suffice it to say that I have some small experience in this area.
NOTE:
I created this thread to avoid hijacking another computer-related thread. In that thread, the OP posted that they had been running Windows XP until recently, which prompted this post.
If others reply here to say that it is okay to continue using those systems, I respectfully disagree. They may tell you that they are running Windows XP and have never been hacked. The fact that they are running Windows XP tells me that they are not likely to know whether they have been hacked. Others may tell you that some magic third-party anti-virus, anti-malware, or other products will protect you. Don't believe the hype. I have heard all the arguments before.
I can cite many examples of people who ignored the warning, and later were crying that their systems were infected. In some cases they lost all their data to ransomware.
-> I have said all I have to say and do not intend to respond to additional posts in this thread. If others disagree, it is their right, but they are wrong. Believe me, or not. It doesn't matter to me. It is your computer.
