Windows xp sp2 end of support

The administrator of your personal data will be Threatpost, Inc. Detailed information on the processing of personal data can be found in the privacy policy. In addition, you will find them in the message confirming the subscription to the newsletter. The OS was released in August as a replacement for Windows and was the last full release of Windows before Microsoft started its Trustworthy Computing effort.

Very soon after the famous memo from Bill Gates appeared, attention both inside and outside the company focused on hardening Windows XP. The first release of Windows XP was not seen as much of a security upgrade over Windows , and it became clear fairly quickly that it was going to need some serious help.

And soon. With Service Pack 2 Microsoft set out to fix that and add a number of other security protections, as well. But when it did, it represented a huge step forward in security for Windows users. But the service pack also added hardware support for DEP Data Execution Prevention , an important defense against buffer overflow attacks. This was at a time when worms such as Code Red, Nimda and others were tearing through networks around the world, exploiting memory vulnerabilities and paralyzing systems.

The combination of these security features and the addition of the Windows Security Center, which gave users a dashboard-type view of the status of their antivirus software, firewall and other protections, was a milestone in desktop security. Microsoft has continued to add security features to subsequent releases of Windows, but XP SP2 was the one that started it all.

As Byron Acohido points out , this is not an insignificant problem. And as anyone paying attention knows, infected PCs in corporate settings are in high demand by cyber gangs controlling the botnets driving all forms of cybercrime. Older machines often are prime targets for attackers, who know that these PCs are less likely to be fully updated.

A look back at what was hot with readers — offering a snapshot of the security stories that were most top-of-mind for security professionals and consumers throughout the year. Google, Microsoft, Cisco Systems and others want appeals court to deny immunity to Israeli company for its alleged distribution of spyware and illegal cyber-surveillance activities.

But paid support, support assistance, and security updates will be discontinued on July And subscribe today to InfoWorld's Technology: Windows newsletter. If you're using Windows , you'll need to migrate to a more recent version of Windows -- or live with the lack of support from Microsoft.

Microsoft has a Windows End-of-Support Center with advice on migrating to Windows 7 for desktops or Windows Server , , or R2 for servers. Or use the end-of-support date as the incentive to migrate to Windows 7, which many businesses are now doing.

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