Your business may not be doing away with paper, calculators or fax machines this year, but if you don’t do away with Windows 7 and upgrade your PCs to Windows 10, you could be opening yourself up to cyberattacks.
If you read articles like this one from Insider about all the tech-related items going away by next year, things like calculators, stand-alone GPS systems, fax machines, paperwork, et cetera, you’re probably like “Right, like that’s gonna happen” (insert side-eyed bored emoji here) — and you’re probably right. Those things may become less and less each year, but will still be produced and used.
Windows 7 loses Microsoft support next year
One thing not listed, however, is support for Windows 7. After January 14, 2020, the time in the light for this operating system, first released in the fall of 2009, will be over.
So what does this mean for current users of Windows 7? While you still will be able to use Windows 7, you will do so at your own risk. From that date on, no longer will Microsoft support machines running the operating system and no longer will it release security updates for the platform, leaving your machine open to hackers, malware and other types of cyber attacks.
Obsolescence due to lack of security
Is this just another money-making ploy by Microsoft to motivate people to buy its newest products? Maybe, but the company itself says the reason is the security of the platform, or lack thereof, according to this ZDNet article.
In the article, Microsoft reportedly said the platform “is outdated and will drive up operating costs from remediating malware attacks that wouldn’t penetrate Windows 10 systems.”
It goes on further to say “Windows 7 ‘does not meet the requirements of modern technology, nor the high security requirements of IT departments,’” according to one Microsoft representative.
If Microsoft says the supported, present version Windows 7 isn’t up to snuff when it comes to network security, what do you think the unsupported Windows 7 will be? This why we are encouraging our clients and others still using Windows 7 to update their operating systems to the newer, safer Windows 10.
Update to Windows 10 now. We're here to help.
If you are our client or are looking for a new managed network services solution for your business and need help with the update, we’ll gladly help you to keep your network infrastructure safe. Just let us know.
But in any case, we highly recommend you make the change sooner than later, that way when the new year rolls around like it will — and sooner than you think — your business won’t be left open to cyberattacks.
About R.K. Black, Inc.
R.K. Black, Inc. is an Oklahoma City-based, family-owned leading provider of office technology solutions to small and medium-sized businesses in Oklahoma and Kansas. We specialize in everything business technology from copier, fax, printer and scanner technology to document management, onsite paper shredding services, VoIP phone systems and managed IT support to video surveillance solutions.
If you want to learn more about us, feel free to explore the website, read our other blogs or click the button below to be contacted by one of our reps and tell you! Also, be sure to keep watching our social media channels on Facebook and Twitter for more business tips from our blog.
