MS extends XP antimalware support to next year.

I think not. Microsoft capitulated and will continue to provide definition updates for MSE, Forefront, SCEP. Security fixes via Windows update are still off the table when XP goes out of support on 8th April.
 
I'm all for getting rid of XP but this is a good move by Microsoft when you consider the scenario the OP pointed out. Makes you wonder how many more banks and other companies use XP still regardless of the warnings due to delays in upgrades or issues with compatibility.

I for one am happier knowing it's still supported from a security POV :)
 
That's a misleading title. It's only the anti-malware products that will continue to be updated, all software such as WSUS, SCCM etc will drop XP support, and no more OS patches are going to be made.

If a new exploit is found after April then it will never get patched, and if the anti-malware can't do anything about it then it's still a dangerous platform to be using.
 
It's a badly written article by the beeb.

This is the statement from MS :
http://blogs.technet.com/b/mmpc/archive/2014/01/15/microsoft-antimalware-support-for-windows-xp.aspx said:
Microsoft has announced the Windows XP end of support date of April 8, 2014. After this date, Windows XP will no longer be a supported operating system. To help organizations complete their migrations, Microsoft will continue to provide updates to our antimalware signatures and engine for Windows XP users through July 14, 2015.

This does not affect the end-of-support date of Windows XP, or the supportability of Windows XP for other Microsoft products, which deliver and apply those signatures.

For enterprise customers, this applies to System Center Endpoint Protection, Forefront Client Security, Forefront Endpoint Protection and Windows Intune running on Windows XP. For consumers, this applies to Microsoft Security Essentials.

Our research shows that the effectiveness of antimalware solutions on out-of-support operating systems is limited. Running a well-protected solution starts with using modern software and hardware designed to help protect against today’s threat landscape.

Microsoft recommends best practices to protect your PC such as:

Using modern software that has advanced security technologies and is supported with regular security updates,
Regularly applying security updates for all software installed,
Running up-to-date anti-virus software.
Our goal is to provide great antimalware solutions for our consumer and business customers. We will continue to work with our customers and partners in doing so, and help our customers complete their migrations as Windows XP end of life approaches.

MMPC
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Admiral Huddy said:
It seems that way yes. Maybe the user base is still too high?
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The user base is pretty high at 30% yes.

MagicBoy said:
I think not. Microsoft capitulated and will continue to provide definition updates for MSE, Forefront, SCEP. Security fixes via Windows update are still off the table when XP goes out of support on 8th April.
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This is the feeling I'm getting from reading that article. That it's the MSE updates that XP will still get, not the actual security hole fixes.

Either way, it seems that XP will not die!

EDIT: Magic Boy just posted what I thought. That BBC article is not altogether clear!
 
Hah yeah I've emailed a complaint in as well. The last thing we need is a bunch of tight-fisted directors insisting that staying on XP for another year is safe, or home users having a false sense of security.
 
I saw this earlier and couldn't believe how misleading it is.

Actually I can believe it, their technology reporting is very poor. I like their Science and Nature though.
 
I'm surprised it didn't have the standard issue Windows Vista pin badges that seem to be the stock image for every BBC article about Windows.
 
The title's been changed to something completely nonsensical now.

Microsoft has decided to continue providing virus warnings for the ageing Windows XP operating system until 2015.
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It must be intern day or something.
 
LOL, that's even worse than the original!

EDIT :
At least the rest of the article makes more sense now and has a link to the Technet post above.
 
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This is fuelling the idea that antivirus software is a viable mitigation. If you're going to stop supporting an operating system, then you really need to just cut the cord and not give out this sort of mixed message. If you were that bothered about security you wouldn't be running XP anyway. MSE definitions aren't the difference between a secure and insecure computer.

I'm wondering whether Microsoft still want a foothold on all these XP boxes should they need to push out malicious software removal tools in the future in, the event that all hell breaks loose. This is very much uncharted territory.
 
If there's a huge malware outbreak that turns XP machines into unusable zombies then that's a good thing and Microsoft should publicly come out and say "That's why we gave you several years warning and ample resources to migrate. Suck it up." There's no excuse for people to still be using XP on general usage internet-connected systems.

Trying to secure XP with poorly rated anti-malware software is like claiming you've fixed the exploding nature of a Ford Pinto by installing a fire extinguisher.
 
We're still using XP in places at work, though we're trying to phase it out in the very near future. Lots of companies still have machines on XP.
 
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