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Understanding Windows 7 End of Life

 

What’s the Big Deal?

Microsoft has retired the very popular Windows 7 operating system, and any system still running on that OS after January 14, 2020 IS NO LONGER SUPPORTED. Meaning there is no further bug fixes or security updates leaving your business vulnerable to security breaches. If you require compliance certifications your computer will no longer be in compliance.

Why Bother Upgrading?

Simply put, you need to immediately upgrade from Windows 7, end of life means end of life

A very common reason that companies avoid updating their infrastructure is due to a cavalcade of legacy systems that are expensive to update. These can be critical to the way that you do business, and you might have even spent a great deal of money having a custom solution designed. But they did not update with the times and/or are not compatible with current systems and security measures. 

So what is the worst that can happen for failing to upgrade from an unsupported operating system? How about exposing 46 million customer’s credit card information like TJ Maxx did in 2006. But that was just an embarrassing incident where the main player was caught and punished, upgrading your entire infrastructure is certainly more expensive then just dealing with a security breach right? Why don’t we take a look at Equifax in 2017, where 143 million people’s personal information was exposed and they had to pay a $700 million dollar settlement. There are many more that we can look at, but the majority of these stories have one thing in common; vulnerabilities due to failing to upgrade from legacy systems. Even though these large companies grab headlines, that certainly doesn’t exclude the small to midsize business falling victim to similar attacks.

So what can be done to make sure your business and customers are protected?

What Are Your Options?

Upgrade to Windows 10 or you can view the cloud-based offerings such as Microsoft 365, which provide a web-hosted copy of Windows 10 Pro and update more regularly.

What needs to be done:

1. Determine what devices are running the old operating system.
2. Evaluate computer hardware and replace to support an updated operating system.
3. Ensure compatibility before integrating. 
4. Establish a timeline and budget.
5. Plan time for employee training.

If you are in Arizona and are still using Windows 7, our expert consultants can give you hand to beat the clock before it runs out. Contact MyTek at 623-312-2440 or complete the form to the right today. We are happy to help!

 

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