If you are the type of person who keeps computers and devices in your home and business meticulously up to date, including operating systems upgrades, you probably feel pretty good about that. You are on the ball, you score frequent one-ups against the world of hackers with malicious intent. As geeks, we salute you! There’s a caveat though. While you have been dutifully wading through Windows XP, Windows 7, Vista, and Windows 8 upgrades and updates, others, including small and large organizations you’ve been doing business with, who are responsible for your personal data, may not share your sense of responsibility.

Just a few weeks ago, we were at the optician’s, debit card in hand, ready to pay for new lenses. During a lapse in conversation with the lovely lady behind the counter, my husband quietly called my name. I turned to see him pointing to a computer a short distance away. It displayed the lovely blue Windows XP screen.

I said: “With all due respect, if you’re operating Windows XP, I’d like to run to an ATM machine to get cash.”

The employees seemed to collectively stop their work to turn towards our conversation. From the discussion that ensued we determined that the computer wasn’t on the Internet and the machines that were, including the payment system, had a recent (and supported) Operating System.

In this instance, we received a satisfying answer. Unfortunately, we continue to see dependence on Windows XP, including the Metropolitan Police, NHS trusts, and even making an appearance on the new HMS Queen Elizabeth. These are huge organizations, with top responsibility for protecting personal data. And because something similar had happened previously with the NHS, it was even more incredible that lessons were not learned. There had also been issues in the United States. Each time, it renders the personal data of millions vulnerable.

Operating systems are always vulnerable to emerging threats and exploits, no matter how established they are. Microsoft stopped offering security patches for XP back in April 2014, a full 12 years after its release. Windows XP, connected to a network, is unsafe to use without ongoing updates. It’s not just this OS that is out of support, in April 2017 Extended Support ended for Windows Vista. Windows 7 users have until 2020 before support ends.

IS THE UPGRADE CYCLE JUST PROFIT MAKING SCHEME?
The operating system is probably the most complex piece of software on your PC. It takes a lot of work to create one, and then to keep it relevant and secure. The technology that drives computers is always adapting. Newer systems often deliver power in new ways. There comes a point where Microsoft can no longer extend the operating system to support new hardware and software without the legacy design compromising modern usage. And new Operating Systems, unless they offer the upgrade for free to current users for a period (as happened with the Windows 10 upgrade recently), cost money. But, free operating systems such as Linux, follow the same pattern. They release an OS version intended to be supported for a set period, with a known sundown date and commitment to maintaining compatibility and security over the lifespan. So, it’s not only a profit-making scheme, it’s also somewhat necessary to succeed.