Hackers view Windows 7 systems as a simple target. The US FBI warns against this, which urges companies to leave the no longer supported OS behind.
The US federal police service FBI is interfering in the Windows 7 discussion. The FBI issued a so-called “private industry notification” at the beginning of the week to warn US companies of the dangers of continuing to use Windows 7. In January Microsoft stopped supporting that outdated operating system but many organizations continue to use the OS nonetheless.
The FBI’s warning comes after attacks by criminals. The police department finds that hackers increasingly see Windows 7 as a simple target. Since Microsoft no longer releases security updates to the operating system, attackers want to take advantage. That trend will not stop immediately.
Old vulnerabilities
The FBI indicates that cyber criminals use even older known vulnerabilities such as EternalBlue and BlueKeep to crack systems. This is particularly painful as it illustrates that organizations have not even updated their Windows 7 installation to the latest available updates. Upgrading to Windows 10 remains the best option. That is possible up to now even free.
Although the warning comes from the US, it applies equally to our companies. Using Windows 7 is a risk today unless you pay as an organization for Microsoft’s comprehensive support program. In any case, a switch to a new operating system must be a priority, since that program will not continue to run indefinitely.
Also read: 4 ways to continue using Windows 7 after end of support
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