In just under 3 weeks, Microsoft will end the Windows XP era ending support for both Windows XP and Microsoft Office 2003 on April 8, 2014. Most Microsoft products have a life cycle of about a decade, but these two products have been around longer. What prompted the decision to retire them and what does it mean for current users? In a Feb. 26, 2014 blog post, Jay Paulus, director of Windows marketing at Microsoft stated that both “times and technology have evolved…Windows XP and Office 2003 weren’t designed for the world we live in today, where technology is increasingly mobile.”
The post further clarifies that “ending support” means that “current XP users will no longer receive new security updates, nonsecurity hotfixes, free or paid support options, or online technical content updates from Microsoft.” In plain English, Microsoft will no longer release any end-user updates or security patches, which leaves computers with the operating system installed vulnerable to malicious attacks by cyber-criminials that could easily and quickly infect an entire network.
The SANS Institute estimates that 25% of the world’s desktop computers still running Windows XP which means millions of organizations and households computers will be at greater risk or a malicious attack after April 8th.
Eagle Consulting Partners recommends that health care organizations take immediate steps to protect your network, including:
- Upgrading to Windows 7 or Windows 8 as soon as possible. Desktop and laptop computers on your network will only be protected if they use an operating system that is actively supported. This may require the purchase of new computers, as many computers currently running XP cannot support newer operating systems. The SANS Institute stated in the March issue of their OUCH! Newsletter that for organizations “the transition may be less disruptive by migrating to Windows 7 instead of Windows 8 as the graphical interface in Windows 7 is similar to Windows XP. However, Windows 8 is more secure than previous versions due to significant software enhancements.”
- If upgrading is not an option system-wide, implement strategies that minimize the risk, such as: 1) Disconnecting computers running Windows XP from the network, 2) Segmenting your network so that computers running XP are isolated, and 3) Closely monitoring these systems for viruses and other unusual/suspect activity.
