It is hard to believe that Windows XP was released to the general public in October 2001. Even though general public availability ended in 2008 the operating system was available on certain devices until October 2011. That is a good 10-year run for a personal computer operating system.
Microsoft has continued to support Windows XP by releasing updates and patches since sales ended. This extended support finally ended on April 8, 2014. Microsoft indicates that they will not release any more updates or patches.
Windows XP remains to be very popular especially in corporations. It is especially popular in cable TV boxes, ATM’s, and industrial control systems. Estimates in January 2013 by Net Applications places market share at 29.23% of computers in use.
What are the implications of continuing to use Windows XP. There are theoretical concern that virus writers are going to take advantage of the large audience of Windows XP computers that will no longer be patched and updated. We believe these theories are going to be very correct.
The other implications of continuing to use Windows XP will cause companies to immediately fall out of compliance with several important standards.
- The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which states that covered entities must implement security measures sufficient to reduce risks and vulnerabilities.
- The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS), which requires all organizations to ensure system components and software are protected from all known vulnerabilities.
- The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA), which requires companies to protect the privacy of consumers’ nonpublic personal information.
- The Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX), which holds leadership of publicly traded companies responsible for establishing, evaluating, and monitoring internal controls over financial and operational processes.
Now is the time to review the options to replace Windows XP in your environment. Likely computers that came with Windows XP will not be equipped to utilize Windows 7 or Windows 8. This is also a good time to look at options including virtual desktop computers.