Do you take security seriously in your business? I bet you do. You probably lock the doors and arm the alarm before you leave at night. You certainly lock your cash in your safe or take it to the bank every day. You likely have security cameras in and outside of your business.
What about the computers you use to run your business? Are they secure? Do you have a firewall? Is it set up correctly? Do you have antivirus software installed on every machine? Is it up to date? Hopefully, you answered yes to all these questions. One question you may not have considered is whether the operating systems on your computers are secure. Like the pipes that run water throughout our homes, we tend to take our computer operating systems for granted. This is a mistake.
At RSS the full security of your network is important to us, and one piece of that network may soon put your business at serious risk – Windows 7. According to Microsoft, Windows 7 will reach End of Support (EOS) on January 14, 2020, just a little over 4 months away.
What is EOS?
EOS or End of Support is a specific milestone in a software product’s life cycle when the software provider stops providing support. Support includes:
- Technical Support
- Software Updates
- Security Updates
Every Microsoft product has an EOS date. Even Windows 10 and Office 365 have an EOS date of October 14th, 2025, and it is important to know these dates and plan for them well in advance.
Why is Windows 7 EOS a Concern?
If you’ve ever come home to a flooded basement because of a failed water line or sump pump, you’ll understand. These are systems in our homes that we rely on to silently keep water out, but they don’t last forever. Nevertheless, few of us know how long we should expect them to last or have a plan in place to replace them. Our mistake becomes glaringly obvious when we are redoing the drywall, replacing the carpet, and throwing out the sofa.
The risks are just as great with the Windows 7 EOS date. They include:
- Windows 7 will still work but not safely
- Microsoft will not provide technical support if you need it
- Microsoft will not create security updates
- Your PC, and therefore, your entire network will be vulnerable to attacks
According to AVTest.org, they register 350,000 “new malicious programs (malware) and potentially unwanted applications (PUA)” every day. Companies like Microsoft employ armies of code writers to plug the gaps in their software as hackers discover them. That army is no longer going to protect Windows 7, and Microsoft will no longer be liable for an attack on your system.
What Should I do about the Windows 7 EOS?
The answer is, on one hand, easy and on the other hand difficult – UPGRADE! An upgrade to Windows 10 is your answer, and it needs to happen before January 14th, 2020. We can help with this important IT concern.