INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Despite the fact that running an unsupported or near end-of-life operating system increases security risks, new research from Kaspersky has
revealed that many businesses and consumers are still using Windows 7 and some have yet to upgrade past Windows XP.Researchers from the
cybersecurity firm analyzed data collected from Kaspersky Security Network users regarding what operating system they use and the results
show that 41 percent of consumers still use obsolete systems including extremely old ones like Windows XP and Vista.At the same time, 40
specific versions of outdated operating systems used, two percent of consumers and one percent of workstations used by VSBs run Windows XP
prefer Windows Vista for which mainstream support ended seven rears ago
Surprisingly, a small number of consumers (1 percent) and businesses (0.6 percent of VSBs and 0.4 percent of SMBs and enterprises) missed
their chance to upgrade to Windows 8.1 for free and continue to use Windows 8 although it has not been supported by Microsoft since January
2016.Windows 7 remains a popular choice for both consumers and businesses even while the operating systems' End of Life is coming at the end
risks in doing so.Enterprise solutions manager at Kaspersky, Alexey Pankratov explained in a blog post that the cost of upgrading may be
significant share of users, both businesses and individuals, still use workstations running an outdated or approaching end of lifecycle OS
The widespread use of Windows 7 is concerning, as there is less than six months to go until this version becomes unsupported
The reasons behind this lag vary depending on the software in place, which may be unable to run on the newest OS versions, to economic
reasons and even just down to habit
This is why we recommend that customers migrate to supported versions and ensure that additional security tools are in place during the
sensitive files and data at risk.
