Windows 7 End of Life is rapidly approaching!

 

Microsoft has announced the official end-of-life date for Windows 7: January 14th 2020. This means Microsoft will no longer provide updates or support for this operating system, released a decade ago on the 22nd of July 2009.

This may create serious issues, as a lack of updates means no fixes will be applied to any security flaws, potentially leaving the operating system open to a wide range of attacks. Much the same as when Windows XP became end-of-life.

With this date quickly approaching, we would like to inform you about the security risks and why you should update to Windows 10.

 

Why you should upgrade to a Windows 10 PC.

 

Windows 10 is Microsoft’s current and most actively supported operating system; here are a few reasons you should consider updating to Windows 10 if you haven’t done so already.

 

Ransomware prevention:

 

Computers running older operating systems are more vulnerable to ransomware attacks. Windows 10 has a feature to stop ransomware attacks from being able to lock up users’ documents and work.

Windows 10 has Windows Defender that scans for, quarantines and removes malware; it also includes other tools that can be used to stop malicious programs from getting onto your computer or office network, effectively isolating infected machines within your network.

 

More efficient and frequent updates:

 

A technology built into Windows 10 is the Unified update platform that allows for a streamlined update process that identifies which updates your computer needs and downloads specific updates based on the security implications. This means you are no longer required to download the complete update packages, reducing them by up to 35%, saving you storage space on your machines and time spent updating your PC.

 

Upgrading Windows vs. New PCs

 

The average lifespan of a PC is around four years; Windows 10 was initially released in 2015. If you are currently using a machine that runs Windows 7, the chances are your PC is over four years old.