Security News > 2020 > January > Windows 7: Microsoft Ceases Free Security Updates

Microsoft on Tuesday will offer its final, free updates and security fixes for its Windows 7 operating system as well as Office 2010.

"After 10 years, support for Windows 7 is coming to an end on Jan. 14 in a planned activation to transition users towards Windows 10," a Microsoft spokeswoman tells Information Security Media Group.

Market researcher NetMarketShare, for example, reports that in December 2019, Windows 7 remained the second most-used operating system, following Windows 10, and that one-third of all desktop and laptop PCs it saw in the wild were still running Windows 7.

"For many organizations, the costs are not just related to upgrading the Windows operating systems to Windows 10," Honan tells ISMG. "There are hardware costs to consider as many companies may be using old computers which cannot support Windows 10 effectively. There may be training costs in training staff on how to use the new platforms; this will also include training for IT staff to become familiar with how to support and manage Windows 10. Certain applications may need to be upgraded and/or replaced as well, thus adding an additional cost to the plan."

The clear impetus now is on holdouts to migrate as soon as possible while mitigating security risks in the short term, since using Windows 7 over the long term is sure to expose organizations to new, as-yet-undiscovered flaws, Carl Wearn, head of e-crime and cyber investigations for cloud-based mail management firm Mimecast, tells ISMG. "Use of Windows 7 or any other unsupported software leaves any organization more vulnerable," says Wearn, who until last year served on the London Metropolitan Police's specialist "Falcon" team dedicated to fighting fraud and online bank scams.

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https://www.inforisktoday.com/windows-7-microsoft-ceases-free-security-updates-a-13604