Lack of regular updates can cripple device functionality and performance. Unsupported systems pose greater risks than just exposure to data breaches. Additionally, ransomware such as WannaCry, that can remotely run malicious code or malware, could instigate a ravaging global incident. 2 And with an average price tag of $3.86 million, 3 a breach can quickly put a small company out of business. After all, hackers reportedly strike every 39 seconds. Without Microsoft support and security patches, all Windows 7 systems are defenseless against aggressive hackers looking for the next easy opportunity. The incident hit 200,000 devices, with 98 percent of those infected running Windows 7. Ambitious bad actors then stole the tool to attack systems across the globe. Rather than alerting Microsoft–who could have then created a security patch–the NSA built a tool that exploited the vulnerability. National Security Administration (NSA) identified a security weakness in Windows that was instrumental in network communications. The massive WannaCry attack in 2017 looms large as an example of the devastating potential of unpatched security holes. Security Holes Are Open Doors for HackersĬybercriminals constantly ferret out vulnerable security holes in business networks–it’s one of the easiest ways to gain entry. For many smaller organizations, the cost of additional services may be too much.
Yes, Microsoft continues to offer an Extended Security Updates (ESU) program, but only to those customers who pay for it and only if Windows 7 was purchased as part of a volume license agreement. Without regularly updated security patches, every device running Windows 7–and the data on those devices–is at risk. 1 But those many machines of recent antiquity pose substantial risks. Yet, despite security warnings and application incompatibility notices, many organizations are still running the defunct operating system (OS) into another year.Īccording to third-party statistics, the number of corporate computers that continue to run Windows 7 puts the version in second place as the most-used desktop OS, with more than 20 percent of the market share. In January 2020, Microsoft announced the end-of-life (EOL) for one of the world’s most popular operating systems. As we settle into the new year, we continue to watch users’ slowly distance themselves from Windows 7.
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