Like all good things come to an end, Windows 7 too is at the verge of an end! With Windows 7 end of life, Microsoft has declared the end of all security updates and support for Windows 7 from January 14, 2020. This, of course, brings a thousand questions in the minds of users who have been connected with this version of the Windows operating system since October 22, 2009. In this blog, we have tried to answer some of these pressing questions.
Although it does sound like the end of the world, however, it isn’t! Windows 7 will not completely shut down or stop functioning by 15 January 2020. If you are using Windows 7, you will still be able to use it for as long as you want, provided you will not be able to update it anymore. No system updates or security patches will be available for Windows 7 after the said time, hence it is called Windows 7 end of life. That means, there will no longer be access to the latest security, no software updates, no app updates, moreover, new apps might not be supportive. Therefore, in a nutshell, six months after Microsoft Windows 7 end of life, you will feel like a caveman if you are still using the version. Also, in addition to zero access to any updates, if you, by anyhow need any technical assistance, I’m afraid you won’t find any. Microsoft will not provide any technical assistance or PC security products for Windows 7.
Like mentioned before, you will still be able to work on Windows 7, even after windows 7 end of life. However, your PC will become more vulnerable to viruses and security risks. Imagine your business still running on Windows 7 after the support has ended. Do you foresee these risks affecting your business?
Your confidential data and private company details will be at risk of being manipulated without a strong security patch. Let’s take a deeper look at some of the common security threats you will have to worry about.
These are the most common undetected viruses. Botnets are a collection of software robots or bots that infect computers, which are remotely controlled by the originator. Such threats are commonly sent through spam emails and have a high risk of spreading malware.
A widely known process through which cybercriminals gain unauthorized access to computers. Hacking is often committed by cracking weaknesses in security settings to access personal information.
This is one of the most common malicious software that infects computers through viruses, worms, Trojan horses, adware and spyware. Malware can reformat your system causing you to lose all of your information.
Pharming is another common online fraud that forcibly redirects you to malicious and legitimate URLs. This kind of threat brings you to websites that seem like legitimate sites where you may enter your information to someone with malicious intent.
Phishing is used by cybercriminals to steal personal and financial information. These are usually done through fake emails, messages, and websites, commonly known as “spoofing” created to look authentic to steal passwords and account details.
In addition to the above-mentioned security threats, you will not be able to receive any software updates for Windows 7 from Microsoft. In our highly competitive business world, it would be foolish not to run your business on the latest tools and software. With Microsoft ending support on an operating system, other software and hardware companies will stop supporting the older versions of Windows. This, however, will not happen immoderately, but eventually. You may find a few consultants that provide their own support and patches to Windows 7 for an additional support cost.
If you look back, Chrome did not stop supporting Windows XP until April 2016, when Windows XP support had ended on April 8, 2014. Mozilla Firefox too stopped supporting Windows XP by June 2018. Even Steam dropped support for Windows XP and Windows Vista on January 1, 2019.
Another disappointment would be the end of Internet Explorer support. As a component of Windows, Internet Explorer follows the support lifecycle of Windows operating system, and with the end of support on Windows 7, Internet Explorer too would lose all its updates and security supports.
Considering everything mentioned above, taking a chance on staying with Windows 7, would not only be a danger to your company privacy but also will hinder your growth and work process. So what should you be doing? Before we answer that question, let’s look into what will happen to Windows 7 embedded devices.
Windows 7 embedded devices like ATM’s, gas pumps, etc. usually have a different lifecycle date from that of the Windows version used in PC. Hence, these devices may have to worry about the update a bit later than the rest of the users.
So What Should You Do?
What does Microsoft say: Although Windows 7 would still continue to function normally after Windows 7 end of life and it may seem comfortable to continue using it, rather than migrating to a whole new operating system; it is highly recommended by experts to update your PC to Windows 10. Microsoft strongly recommends its users to shift with the new updates and no longer use an unsupported version of Windows. Microsoft confirms that Windows 7 will no longer be secure to use and they take no responsibility in case of a threat or attack.
For a growing business or an established company, it is quite a necessity to migrate to Windows 10, to keep data and company privacy intact. To learn more on how to migrate safely to Windows 10 and how to cope with the new changes, stay tuned to our latest articles or simply get in touch with our experts today!
