This is because software is not always up to date, and cybercriminals aim to act quickly to exploit these before developers are able to fix the problem.įor example, the ‘WannaCry’ ransomware attack in 2017 exploited a known vulnerability in Windows software despite Microsoft releasing a fix for the issue months before the attack. Hackers are always on the look-out for so-called ‘zero-day’ vulnerabilities – which are bugs and flaws that software developers do not know about – but they also look to exploit vulnerabilities that are known to developers. They can now look to exploit bugs in the software for malicious purposes, such as gaining access to your network and stealing data. The decision by Microsoft to effectively cut Windows 7 loose and provide no further updates presents cybercriminals around the world with a huge opportunity. Windows 7 EOL presents huge opportunity for cybercriminals Now, any future security issues for Windows 7 will not be included in Microsoft’s updates. Microsoft fixed the issue in a round of updates on 14 January 2020, but that was the last ever series of updates for Windows 7. Just last month the US National Security Agency warned of serious new vulnerabilities it had found in Windows – including Windows 7 and even the latest version of Windows 10. Computers that are running unsupported or unpatched software such as Windows 7 are much more vulnerable to viruses, malware and cyber-attacks, which is why cyber security experts have advised Windows 7 users to upgrade their operating system at the earliest possible opportunity.Īn estimated 200 million computers are still thought to be running Windows 7, which is now more than a decade old and increasingly vulnerable to the latest cyber-attack tactics. There is an option to sign up to Microsoft’s Extended Security Updates, although this only lasts for three years.Ĭouncils that still use Windows 7 could therefore now be at greater risk of being targeted by cybercriminals. If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.January 14th 2020 marked the scheduled End of Life for Microsoft’s Windows 7 operating system, which means the technology company will no longer provide security updates and patches to its widely used software. This applies only to updates and software that are installed manually automatic updates will be installed regardless of the user. To allow anyone using the computer to make updates, select the Allow all users to install updates on this computer check box.To get recommended updates for your computer, under Recommended updates, select the Give me recommended updates the same way I receive important updates check box.To schedule your automatic updates, next to Install new updates, select the day and time you want updates to occur.Never check for updates (not recommended).Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them.Download updates but let me choose whether to install them.Install updates automatically (recommended).Under Important updates, click one of the following:.In the left pane, click Change settings.In the search box, type Update, and then, in the list of results, click Windows Update. Open Windows Update by clicking the Start button.
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