Windows 7 Losing Support – You May Be at Risk
On January 14, 2020 Windows 7 is no longer going to be supported by Microsoft. This means that all vulnerabilities that are discovered will go un-patched. As a result, your business may be in severe danger if it’s running Windows 7 operating systems.
Losing Support Defined
Unfortunately, it’s exactly what it sounds like. Windows 7 will run like normal, but there will be no technical support, no software updates, and no security updates from Microsoft.
No Technical Support
When Windows gives you strange errors or behaves strangely, this is often the domain of technical support. Microsoft will no longer be available to answer questions and resolves problems.
If you have access to IT in-house or have outsourced your IT to a managed service provider, they may be able to assist with some of these technical concerns. But there is always a limit as the source code of Microsoft Windows 7 is proprietary.
No Software Updates
When the problem is at the level of the Windows 7 operating system or it’s associated software and/or how they interact with popular new software, traditionally we’ve had Microsoft Working on software updates constantly and making them available to us to resolve those problems.
At the end of life (EOL) date of January 14, 2020 that’s done. So, some software incompatibilities and bugs may simply never be resolved.
No Security Updates
This is the big problem. This is the problem that could literally end your business. Without security updates, hackers are going to have an easy time accessing your Windows 7 systems and doing whatever it is they plan on doing—often seeking monetary gain in ways that can put you out of business.
Remember, approximately 50% of all small-to-medium-sized businesses are hacked. And, 60% of those will go out of business within six months of the hack! And, it’s often very simple to hack computers that are running old, out-of-date software.
What's Next?
Your IT provider, whether in-house or outsourced, should be able to easily identify how many computers are running Windows 7 or other deprecated operating systems and provide you with a report in a matter of minutes.
Don’t think twice. Just make the upgrade.
Credits
Photo of Steve Ballmer republished responsibly. Credit goes to JD Lasica/Socialmedia.biz.