There has been quite a lot of talk recently about the end of support for Windows XP. After more than a decade of good service, the old girl is being put out to pasture, and this means that as of April there will be no more patches and updates released. But in the meantime, there are still some known problems that need to be fixed, and Microsoft is doing what it can to ensure that any security holes are plugged in time.
This month’s Patch Tuesday is an excellent case in point. Back in November, Microsoft issued a security advisory about a kernel vulnerability that affects both Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. The vulnerability does require a potential attacker to have valid login credentials and “could not be exploited remotely or by anonymous users”.
But the problem is being address in this month’s Patch Tuesday. It is ranked as being as “important” update, and it is something of a landmark as there is the potential for it to become the latest update ever made to Windows XP.
Do you feel comfortable continuing to use Windows XP knowing that should a major security problem be discovered, it will not be fixed? We already know that there still are quite a number of XP users out there — including visitors to WinBeta — who are determined to hang on for as long as possible. But what happens when (and it is going to be a case of when rather than if) another problem is found and Microsoft does not fix it. Will this be enough to convince you to upgrade, or will you rely on other security tools to keep you, your computer and your data safe?
