One of the most important things I’ll talk about is reducing your surface attack area in regards to cyber attacks. This means that every step you take to secure your PC and network, you’ll be less and less of a target to hackers and malware. I’m sure most if not all of you know this, you will never be 100% secure, it’s just not possible (unless you completely remove yourself from the grid, which is most likely not an option for most of us).
April 8th, 2014 marked the end of support of Windows XP from Microsoft. Now does this mean that your Windows XP PC has stopped working, of course not, you might even be reading this post with it. What it does mean, is that Microsoft will no longer issue security patches and updates for the operating system. IF you are on Windows XP, and you are using it connected to the Internet, you are at HIGH risk for a cyber intrusion, virus or malware attack to your PC. Take advantage of the holidays coming up and replace your PC with a new Windows 7 or Windows 8 PC.
Many small to medium sized businesses utilize Windows XP to run their point of sale systems (cash registers). This is just one of the sources of intrusion into the credit card hacking nightmare most of us (and the retailers) have been living recently. With the holidays coming up, it will be real interesting to see what all the retailers are going to do to make customers feel more secure and to gain that trust back.
If you’re running Windows XP, please be making plans to remove it from your network and upgrade to a supported operating system. If you need assistance you can reach out to our Sales Team by emailing us at [email protected]
