Windows 7: Cease of security support

 

In 2019, Microsoft announced they will no longer be supporting or providing security updates for their Operating System Windows 7 [1] as of January 14th 2020. Whilst Windows 7 machines will still be able to run, they’ll be at greater risk of viruses and malware.

Two tasks that were specifically mentioned to avoid were checking emails and online banking. With the operating system no longer having support, this could lead to greater security risks.

The NCSC (National Cyber Security Centre) stated in their article last year that when Windows XP went out of support in 2014 it was fairly easily exploited [2].

What can you do?

  • The Cashplus Bank app is the safest and most secure way to access your account online. Download the latest version of the Cashplus Bank app onto your mobile phone or tablet, either from the App Store or Google Play. For login support, read our step by step visual guide on how to log in to the app.
  • If you’re a business using Windows 7 then Microsoft has said that they’ll provide 3 more years of support until January 2023 [3]. This support will come at a cost, rise in price each year and only be available to those with Windows 7 Professional and Windows Enterprise customers.
  • If you don’t have either the Professional or Enterprise version of Windows 7 then it’s strongly recommended to upgrade to Windows 10 which can be done via the Windows website and comes at a cost of around £120. Please check your PC is compatible with Windows 10 before purchasing and that you have a full back-up before you upgrade.
  • For any PCs that’re running Windows 7, make sure that all Anti-Virus software is up to date. (However, please be aware that eventually Anti-Virus software will no longer support Windows 7 either. Most likely within 1-2 years).

 

Should you wish to learn more about Cybersecurity, feel free to read our previous articles on:

 

 

Sources

[1] https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/windows-7-end-of-life-support-information

[2] https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/blog-post/one-year-left-for-windows-7-support

[3] https://www.triumphtech.co.uk/windows-7-support/

 

 

This content was created on 22nd January 2020

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