This week we released volume 15 of the Security Intelligence Report (SIR), which covers our research on computer security, including software vulnerabilities, exploits, and malicious and potentially unwanted software.

One of the key findings to surface from the latest report is the increased risk of using old, unsupported software and emphasizes the positive impact of security innovations and technologies in newer software. Advanced security technologies in modern operating systems are specifically designed to make it more difficult, more complex, more expensive, and therefore, less appealing to cybercriminals to exploit vulnerabilities.

For more information, see New cybersecurity report details risk of running unsupported software.

For more information, see our Microsoft on the Issues blog post titled “New cybersecurity report details risk of running unsupported software.”

Support for Windows XP ends in April 2014

Windows XP was released almost 12 years ago, which is an eternity in technology terms. While we are proud of the success of Windows XP in serving the needs of so many people for more than a decade, inevitably there is a tipping point where dated software and hardware can no longer defend against modern-day threats and increasingly sophisticated cybercriminals. 

If you’re still using Windows XP, you’re missing out on all kinds of enhancements to computer security, productivity, and performance that are available in Windows 7 and Windows 8.

Find out what end of support for Windows XP means to you.