(April 8, 2014) — As of today Microsoft has stopped publishing Windows XP patches.  They’ve named today,  “Zero Day Forever.” Zero-day refers to vulnerabilities hackers use to attack your operating system.

Microsoft will continue to provide anti-malware for Windows XP through July 14, 2015. However, as of today:

• Microsoft will technically stop supporting the Windows XP operating system.

• They won’t provide automatic updates, service packs, or any type of official Microsoft technical support for XP.

If you are using Microsoft’s Security Essentials you will still receive some anti-malware information. According to Microsoft:

“For enterprise customers, this applies to System Center Endpoint Protection, Forefront Client Security, Forefront Endpoint Protection and Windows Intune running on Windows XP. For consumers, this applies to Microsoft Security Essentials.”

However, Microsoft went on to say:

“Our research shows that the effectiveness of anti-malware solutions on out-of-support operating systems is limited.” 

Microsoft advises businesses and consumers to upgrade from Windows XP immediately.  If you decide to continue running Windows XP, you should apply regular security updates to the software and run up-to-date anti-virus software to help to prevent infections.

What does this mean for your business using Windows XP?  For answers contact CAT-TEC at (416) 840-6560 or by email at: {email}   We can help to ensure your business stays protected from malware and other threats.