Reality says that using Windows XP in the corporate segment today is extremely dangerous. Despite the obvious shortcomings of outdated software, many entrepreneurs trust a proven OS, not realizing that their confidential information and activities themselves are under constant threat of outside interference, work blocking, and hacker attacks. A few facts why the ultra-reliable but outdated XP needs to be replaced with modern operating systems.
End of support
The main reason why you should change XP in an enterprise to a modern operating system is the end of Microsoft technical support for this product.
IMPORTANT. For a year now - since April 8, 2014 - one of the most popular operating systems has not received updates.
Despite this, approximately 500 million users and businesses still use Windows XP as their operating system. There are usually several reasons for this:
1. Habit, compliance with job requirements.
2. Lack of money to update the OS or buy modern PCs
3. Lack of awareness of the possible consequences of using Windows XP
What does this mean?
Developing updates and eliminating weaknesses and bugs in Windows XP will never happen again. If hackers find a vulnerability in the security of the system, then it is forever.
Cyber attacks. Due to the imperfections of Windows XP, which is several generations behind modern software products in terms of security and has a completely outdated architecture, criminals are able to hack your PC. They can download or destroy information, block work, demand or steal money, encrypt information, and simply spy on a PC user with Windows XP much easier than someone using modern operating systems. This is fraught with large material and reputational losses in the eyes of corporate clients or users.
Problems of modern devices. In addition to the increase in potential and targeted actions of cybercriminals, the corporate segment that uses Windows XP may be faced with the inability to use office equipment, modern programs and peripheral devices.
Actually, due to the fact that drivers are not written for Windows XP, you will not be able to connect a modern printer to your PC. Also, your computer may not “see” some mice, keyboards, scanners, etc. In addition, there may be compatibility problems with functional parts of the PC that cannot work with Windows XP.
OS capabilities do not meet the challenges of the times. Thus, Windows XP (32 bit) can work with no more than 3GB of RAM. Therefore, modern professional programs for which it is critical to have access to a larger amount of memory simply will not be able to use it, even if it is available. In addition, Windows XP practically does not support the ability to use multiple monitors at the same time.
Replacement cannot be left
If you can’t put a comma in this statement after the first word, and using Windows XP is very important with all the above-mentioned “cons,” then it’s worth knowing how best to organize your PC’s work with this OS as safely as possible.
If migration to modern OS is impossible, then experts advise:
1. Try to use a Windows XP PC offline
2. Minimize the ability of such PCs to access corporate network resources
3. Try not to connect external storage media that have not been tested for security to your Windows XP PC.
4. Make it a rule to use software that is adapted for this system on a PC with Windows XP
5. Try to leave the OS in a “sterile” state - limit the rights of the Windows XP user to install unadapted programs
6. Plan the replacement of the PC fleet and the transition to modern OS
In general, Windows XP users should consider increasing their level of security and switching to modern operating systems - in addition to being much more reliable, it is also convenient.
Yes, active users with special needs need , not XP. It is safer, more modern and better compatible with the latest technologies. But for a significant portion of users, Windows 7 is still not an option.
Those who will continue to use XP in the future fall into two main groups. The largest are business users who depend on certain hardware or software that needs XP or the XP version of Internet Explorer. This category includes both specific proprietary applications and highly specialized solutions - from optometry to industrial controllers, proprietary equipment, etc.
In many cases, the developers of the original software no longer exist or the cost of new versions is prohibitive (a complaint I hear especially often from municipalities and hospitals). As for the equipment, these are most often devices with a built-in operating system, designed for decades of stable operation - electron microscopes, medical equipment, ATMs, pump regulators, etc. The situation here is the same as with Cobol-based mainframes: replace they are too expensive and risky, so no one replaces them.
Another large group of XP users are those who do not use computers much at all and are not very comfortable with modern technologies. My mother, for example, still doesn’t fully understand what happens when you right-click the mouse, and at such an advanced age, people no longer have much desire to master computer innovations to perform familiar tasks: reading mail, searching the Internet, and paying bills. There are many such users, and for them Windows XP is the same as a 15-year-old car and a 40-year-old house: an old thing, but quite functional. With a good antivirus, these people will use XP until the end of time.
A third group of XP users is often mentioned: low-income people who cannot afford to buy a new computer. However, this group is not at all large, as evidenced by various Pew Research studies. Firstly, low-income people rarely have their own PC, be it old or new - they more often use computers in schools and libraries. Second, low-income people often buy mobile devices instead of computers. So they do not depend on XP as much as is commonly believed. Yes, some people really can't buy a new PC and use an old one with XP, but the huge XP user base is not made up of them.
The first group is most important: these users work in organizations where Windows 7 is (or will soon be) the main operating system, and XP serves a small number of employees who are tightly tied to it. This separation creates a lot of difficulties for both users and administrators. But the only thing a company can do in such a situation is to use XP only where it is necessary, and, if possible, isolate such systems to prevent accidental IE and driver updates that could disrupt stable operation.
These specific XP use cases aren't going anywhere - there's simply nothing to translate them to, and that's a major oversight on Microsoft's part. Yes, the company has provided MED-V and other clever solutions, but they are too complex and often do not work. In addition, they do not provide scalability, so they are not suitable for mass migration and do not solve the fundamental problem of users of highly specialized applications. Those who are quite satisfied with XP for performing everyday tasks will not go anywhere either. So for the foreseeable future, XP will continue to be very active, even despite the formal cessation of support.
| Materials |
The Windows XP operating system was released on October 25, 2001, that is, thirteen years ago. Think about this number. During this time, new technologies have been born and died, private spaceships and artificial organisms have appeared, but she is still alive and, it seems, is not going to give up.
Windows XP users today resemble Old Believers who went into the deep forests and hid there from civilization and progress. They jealously preserve their ancient customs and faith in the most correct operating system. They believe that Windows XP is great and no one can replace it. Let's try to convince them.
My Windows XP computer works great
My system still works great. Why upgrade to a modern version of Windows when I can surf the Internet, use Office, and do everything else I need just as well? After all, almost all software supports Windows XP, one way or another. And even hardware devices have drivers for Windows XP.
Unfortunately, this is not entirely true. Microsoft's support for your operating system ends in just a few days, signaling to all manufacturers that Windows XP is dead. Some a little earlier, some a little later, but they will all stop providing support for their products for this operating system.
Security must be mentioned separately. The XP architecture by default is not a standard of security, and with the end of the process of eternal patching of holes, this system will turn into a sieve. Do you need it?
I'm used to XP and don't understand Windows 8
I've been using Windows XP for so long that I feel very comfortable here. It's like a well-worn pair of shoes you love. And this figure eight of yours completely stupefies me - there’s not even a Start button!
Yes, the Windows 8 interface is a mixed bag. Here, indeed, many things are implemented too differently, and one cannot say that they are very successful.
But there is Windows 7! It will be supported until 2020 and is a modern, secure and user-friendly operating system. Plus, there are no innovations related to touch input, and you will feel no less comfortable than in XP. In addition, you can set, for example, such a visual style, and you will not notice that anything has changed at all.
Updating takes too long
Updating your operating system is like moving to a new apartment. I have everything conveniently laid out here, but I have to save everything, reinstall it, transfer my data, what if something gets lost? Besides, settling into a new place will take more than one day, I simply cannot afford it.
Yes, it's all true. Updating the system can take time even if you know exactly what to do and how to do it. If you cannot boast of such knowledge, then you will have to turn to specialists, so, in addition to time, you will also have to lose money.
However, there are other ways. For example, Microsoft offers a free tool called Laplink PCmover Express that lets you save all the files, settings, and accounts from your old Windows XP computer for later use on your new computer. It is very easy to use, practically, you only need to follow the instructions of the step-by-step wizard to quickly move to a new system.
Backward software and hardware compatibility
My favorite old scanner works great on Windows XP, but I'm not sure I'll find drivers for other systems. The same applies to specific software and some games.
If you use Windows XP for personal purposes, then we can confidently say that you can find a suitable replacement for almost any application application. And old printers and scanners that have reached the end of their useful life almost certainly end up in a landfill.
The situation is much worse in the corporate sector. There may indeed be special software or hardware that is incompatible with new versions of operating systems. In this case, the update threatens with serious financial expenses or is completely impossible. The only solution that can be offered here is to use Windows XP in a virtual machine, which, however, is also not always appropriate.
As you can see, among all the reasons for loyalty to Windows XP, only one is truly serious. And then, it concerns more the corporate sector. So, the Old Believers have no excuses and cannot have them. It's time to say thank you to the veteran and let him retire.
Sleep well, dear comrade!
This post will not be entirely about information leaks, but information security doesn’t only fight against them, right? We'll talk about the common problem of using obsolete software, which will only get worse in difficult economic times. This text is a compilation of opinions from the Internet and my own on the topic of this problem.
Is there a risk in working with Windows XP after the end of support for this OS? Yes, there is, and above all, attackers will have an advantage over defenders running Windows XP. After all, most likely, hackers will have more data about the vulnerabilities of this OS than defenders. Further in the text we will explain why this happens.
When Microsoft introduces a security update, it is common for both attackers and security researchers to quickly decompile the security updates in order to identify the piece of code that contains the vulnerability that the update addresses. Once the vulnerability is discovered, they will try to write code that allows it to be used on systems that for some reason are not equipped with this security update. In addition, they will try to find out whether this vulnerability exists in other software products that have the same or similar functionality.
For example, if a vulnerability is discovered in one version of Windows, then researchers try to determine whether the same vulnerability exists in other versions of the operating system. To ensure that users are protected from attackers who use these techniques, there is a strong policy that the Microsoft Security Center uses to monitor the release of security updates. According to this principle, all security updates for absolutely all of the company’s products appear on the Internet at the same time. This practice gives users an advantage over attackers because they can obtain security updates for all of their products before attackers can decompile them.
However, after April 8, 2014 (that’s when support for Piggy officially ended), this advantage can no longer be enjoyed by those organizations that continue to use Windows XP in their work. Immediately after Microsoft once again introduces security updates for various versions of Windows, hackers will decompile these updates, find vulnerabilities, and “test” Windows XP for their presence - and, as we remember, this OS will not receive security updates. And if these vulnerabilities are present in Windows XP, then hackers will try to create an exploit that allows them to exploit these vulnerabilities. The security update will not be available for Windows XP, and will not help eliminate these vulnerabilities - the system will have a “zero-day vulnerability”. It is worth recalling that from July 2012 to July 2013, Windows XP was flagged as having vulnerabilities in forty-five Microsoft security bulletins. Thirty of them also mentioned Windows 7 and 8 versions.
Some analysts believe that Windows 8 has special security services that make it more difficult to carry out attacks using such exploits. In addition, special anti-virus programs are provided, the purpose of which is to block attacks and neutralize viruses. However, you cannot be 100 percent sure that you can completely trust the computing base of the OS, because hackers can certainly obtain data on zero-day exploits in the Windows XP operating system. And this will give them the opportunity to disable it, as well as execute the code they need. In addition, can you fully trust the system APIs that are used in the antivirus software of such a system? It is quite possible that some users will consider this level of trust in the integrity of the OS normal, but for most users it will be unacceptable.
If we talk about the security features provided in Windows XP Service Pack 3, they were created many years ago - and then they were, of course, very modern. But according to the Microsoft Security Intelligence Report, today they can no longer be called effective in countering modern computer threats. Data on Windows XP malware infections indicate that the risk of infection for Windows XP is much higher than the risk of infection for modern Windows 7 and Windows 8 operating systems.
Conclusion? Since everyone will save on updating both software and hardware, the level of infection of corporate computers in Russia will increase noticeably. And, unfortunately, there will be much more work for information security services.
Situations often arise when the Windows XP operating system suddenly stops loading. There can be many reasons for this, and each specific problem requires an individual solution. However, if the user knows why the computer may malfunction, then he can easily solve the problem on his own. All possible reasons for failure can be divided into two groups:
- Hardware - something has broken inside the computer, and Windows no longer works;
- Software - software errors have arisen in the OS itself that interfere with the correct operation of the system;
It is also worth paying attention to at what stage the OS does not load, that is, what manages to appear on the screen, and after what particular event you detect a failure. In this case, we will consider a situation where Windows XP no longer starts after the splash screen appears.
What can be done
The very first method you need to resort to is loading the system's last known known configuration. After all, the cause of the malfunction may simply be that you, for example, installed an incorrect program or driver on your computer, due to which the OS does not load normally. Accordingly, for the system to operate normally, you need to return it to the moment when these tools were not installed. There is a special section in the system registry HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINES\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet, where information about the last problem-free boot is recorded. It is with the help of this partition that Windows will determine the last known good configuration and boot based on it.
Another option is to run Windows XP in Safe Mode.
With this method, only the minimum required set of software tools for running Windows is loaded, and none of the auxiliary programs are loaded.
If you were unable to boot your system as usual, but it booted into safe mode without any problems, this already means that you most likely recently installed some software on your computer that is causing your system to fail. starts.
After starting the computer in safe mode, you should restore Windows XP. To do this, you need to run the recovery utility, which is located in the All Programs/Accessories/Utilities/System Restore directory. It takes so-called snapshots of important system files, and saves the resulting information in the form of restore points at which the system boots normally (more precisely, it booted before the problem occurred). Points can be created manually, but periodically they are created automatically (for example, after installing new software). You need to select the desired point and then start the recovery process. Upon completion, the computer will restart.
If all else fails
If previous attempts have failed and your system still won't boot, your last resort may be to restore your system using the installer. In order to do this, you will need a Windows XP installation disc. Insert it into the drive, enter the BIOS and set it to boot from it. . If a window appears on the screen asking you to press any key to continue working, then do just that. The Windows XP operating system installation window will appear. You will need the first item, by selecting which you will begin installing Windows XP on your computer. First of all, a license agreement will be displayed on the screen, which you must accept, otherwise you will not be able to install the OS.
In the next step, the message “Searching for previous versions of Microsoft Windows...” will appear at the bottom of the screen. Thus, the program determines what it needs to do next - install the system on the computer or launch a recovery mechanism for an already installed OS. There is one rather important nuance here - for the recovery procedure to be successful, you will need a disk with exactly the same copy of Windows that you had previously installed. This is due to the fact that each operating system has its own serial number, which during the installation process is also checked for compliance with the previously installed copy.
Let's say the scan completed successfully and no compatibility issues were found. In this case, a message appears on the screen asking you to either restore your existing copy of Windows, or install a new copy on your hard drive, and not carry out the recovery procedure. Since we are interested in system recovery, we need to select the first item and then press the R key. If suddenly the installation wizard offers you only to install a new copy of Windows on your computer, do not agree - this will remove your OS from the computer and you will have to do the installation again.
If you did everything correctly, the program will begin the recovery procedure. From the outside it will look like installing a new OS on a computer, but in fact it is just restoring a damaged system. After all, the process does not affect computer user accounts, programs installed on the computer, or system registry data.
That's it, your computer now boots in normal mode. It is advisable to make sure that the correct device boot priorities have been set in the BIOS (because after recovery through the distribution kit they have to be changed). The priority should be to start from the hard drive. If everything is correct, then Windows XP starts and works without failures.
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