Microsoft will stop offering technical support for Windows 7 operating system that is very popular in Mexico, in fact, Kaspersky figures reveal that about 28% of users in the country use it daily, users who could be at risk.
Although apparently there will be no change, however, the lack of support means that those who use this operating system more vulnerable will be the risks of security and virus.
Dmitry Bestuzhev, director of the Research and Analysis team for Latin America in Kaspersky, explains that the main risk is that there will no longer be security patches to resolve vulnerabilities that appear after the announced date, which will undoubtedly be exploited by cybercriminals.
“We know that many users choose not to update the operating system, either for cost, custom or because their other computer packages are not compatible with newer versions. However, an operating system obsolete that does not have patches security is a risk of cybersecurity. Our recommendation is to migrate to the most recent version of Windows immediately, in addition to having a robust security solution, either for the protection of a personal or work equipment, given that the cost of an incident may be substantially higher than that of the update, ”Bestuzhev warns.
It is also important to note that some software providers will stop supporting this operating system in their products. In this way, users will not only have a vulnerable operating system, but also vulnerable external applications, which multiplies the chances of infection and increases the risk that cybercriminals get confidential information about their victims.
“It is a chain effect that cannot be solved without users migrating to a newer version of Microsoft Windows, ” Bestuzhev explains.
Kaspersky recommends users and companies that still use Windows 7:
Migrate to an updated version of the operating system with the automatic update function enabled.
Update the operating system through Windows Update and keep it always up to date.
Performing a backup of security photos and files.
Use solutions with behavioral attack prevention technologies.
One more option is to pay for Windows 7 support and software updates through Microsoft Extended Security Updates (ESU), however, this can be expensive.
For companies, the recommendation by Pavithra Sudhakar, Product Consultant at ManageEngine, before migrating from Windows 7 to Windows 10 is to ensure that there is a solution that can seamlessly reinstall applications on devices.
In addition to this, almost all organizations have web applications and websites that use legacy technology. For most of them to work, they often require add-ons that are native to legacy browsers, such as Internet Explorer. However, Microsoft Edge is the default browser in Windows 10. Therefore, to represent legacy websites without problems, organizations need a solution that can be redirected to a browser that supports these websites and applications.
You must also have tools that maintain user data when they login to eliminate the need to re-customize each machine and re-enter the settings.
Before moving on to Windows 10, it is important to identify how many machines are still running Windows 7. In addition, all target machines must be evaluated to ensure that they meet the minimum requirements for Windows 10; Target machines must have at least 32 GB of hard disk space, 1 GB of RAM and a 1 GHz processor.