Risks of continuing using Windows 7

Kurgen

Kurgen

Kurgen

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What are the real world risks of continuing to use Windows 7, my dad has a couple of pcs with legacy software that cant be upgraded, so excluding using virtual machines etc or taking them offline. If they are protected with Malwarebytes Premium are they pretty safe? or is it only a matter of time before they get something nasty.
 
If it's offline very little risk, however if it's online it isn't safe once threats start appearing and holes are been found as they won't be patched leaving your system wide open. For the sake of a meal and a pint at the pub upgrade to 10.
 
Granted they are being patched fairly quickly - but Windows 10 is racing ahead of 7 for severity of security issues found :( in the last few months there have been all kinds of really bad remote intrusion vectors, digital signing and secure connection vulnerabilities, local privilege elevation, etc. problems found - if you aren't on the latest version of 10 I'd recommend updating as annoying as that can be sometimes as you are literally wide open if still running 18xx, etc. builds.

Personally not hurrying to move any of my main systems off 7.
 
Malwarebytes premium on its own isn't enough
Should have anti virus too
And a good firewall

But never mind 7 load of people still run xp
And nothing connected to the Internet is ever 100% safe
Even latest Windows 10 fully patched
Happens sometimes as an example isps send out modems and routers that have security flaws to very large amounts of customers
So no matter how vigilant you were your isp could have left you wide open
Well known UK one years ago used mac addresses on the router to calculate the WiFi password as an example of stupidity from an isp
New flaws get found all the time in hardware, browsers etc
 
Mcnumpty2323 said:
Malwarebytes premium on its own isn't enough
Should have anti virus too
And a good firewall

But never mind 7 load of people still run xp
And nothing connected to the Internet is ever 100% safe
Even latest Windows 10 fully patched
Happens sometimes as an example isps send out modems and routers that have security flaws to very large amounts of customers
So no matter how vigilant you were your isp could have left you wide open
Well known UK one years ago used mac addresses on the router to calculate the WiFi password as an example of stupidity from an isp
New flaws get found all the time in hardware, browsers etc
Click to expand...

Malware Bytes Premium is Antivirus & Antimalware according to their website? will soon be changing the Asus Router to a Cisco Small Business Router which will be managed by a Business ISP
 
Kurgen said:
Malware Bytes Premium is Antivirus & Antimalware according to their website? will soon be changing the Asus Router to a Cisco Small Business Router which will be managed by a Business ISP
Click to expand...
My anti virus picks up things Malwarebytes doesnt
And vice versa
Seems to be no problem running another anti virus along side Malwarebytes
Even if just a free version of bit defender, avast, etc
And got a feeling cisco stuff has had flaws before though don't remember exact details
Though so have plenty of others
In theory a business router may be more secure though whether that's the case in practice is another thing
No matter what they come out with though if someone can make it usually someone can break it
Safest bet is move to a desert island with no Internet lol

mrbell1984 said:
What for home? bit over the top unless you have a business ran from home.
Click to expand...
Yeah did wonder why the extra expense if only a home user
 
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I see Malwarebytes offers Malwarebytes for teams under the buinsess section which is anti virus and malware pricing started at 3 pcs
 
Mcnumpty2323 said:
Problem with moving isn't getting modern software
It's usually the importing of original /existing data
Click to expand...

Yup - most places I've worked simply won't budget for migrations, etc. unless it is absolutely vital - often confounded by things like the use of bespoke software where the original software developers having long since disappeared making it extra costly, etc.
 
Main thing regardless of what operating system
Important stuff should be backed up to at least 2 places
Preferably 1 of those being remote from the pc
Ie in the cloud or on a drive that's disconnected except during backups
 
Work is backed up onto a NAS Drive. this in turn runs backup to a USB Hard Drive. the NAS is synced to Onedrive for Business, but I need to check this is still syncing ok.

I will upgrade the Malwarebytes to the business version. All Online Banking is done from an up to date Windows 10 PC
 
Kurgen said:
Work is backed up onto a NAS Drive. this in turn runs backup to a USB Hard Drive. the NAS is synced to Onedrive for Business, but I need to check this is still syncing ok.

I will upgrade the Malwarebytes to the business version. All Online Banking is done from an up to date Windows 10 PC
Click to expand...
Nice to see some one with a backup strategy so many people don't
Then disaster strikes

mrbell1984 said:
Indeed but when choosing software data should be able to be migrated into different formats. Anyone going down this route needs to add export to the options.
Click to expand...
Most pc users have no idea of that stuff though
They simply get software that does what they want
It never occurs to them X amount of years later there may be a problem with the format their data is in
 
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There is no excuse to still be using Windows 7 after today. I don't care who you are, or what you do. Poor horizon scanning.

Remember the NHS wannacry fiasco.

If my team of three can move 4,000 machines from 7 to 10 which contains huge amounts of old software and/or legacy hardware devices anyone can! Hell, whilst we were at it, we also moved over to part zero terminals and VDI/AppV where possible so that in 18 months when Windows 10 version xxxx goes end of life we can easily and quickly upgrade.

The technology exists to make life easy. Most of our PCs were 10 years old and all kinds of different makes and models. We managed.

My comment may seem a bit harsh, but it's more for the senior leadership team not the IT dept. In very special cases, you can pay Microsoft for extended support but my take on it, is that they've had years of warning so what's going to change now which could not have done years ago?

I hear excuses like 'special software', ok...fair enough, but they should have been looking/researching/developing years ago if they intend to stick with Windows. It was the same excuse with XP. Microsoft made it very clear when the support ran out. Amazingly our local university hasn't even started a windows 10 upgrade project! Then again, most of their servers are 2008 and unpatched lol

Unless cyber threats isn't high on the priority list for a company, they can't cry when they get hacked....or if they do, have a technology in place to restore ALL systems quickly and easily such as SAN checkpoints or specific physical nodes through an HBA to restore clusters etc etc If you do get hacked, that's bad enough....but to be down for days (or even weeks for some networks) is laughable. It's 2020, not 2000.

Anything can be achieved with the right amount of resources.

from an IT dept stand point. The only thing they can do is make the SLT aware of the risks so they make the call.

Hell, I've been into departments where they don't hold weekly meetings to discuss network health. I say, what percentage of your estate is patched...or, how many viruses have you picked up this week....blank looks.

Didn't the BBC report that 51% of machines are still on Windows 7. Madness. Yet people are only asking the questions today.....not x years ago.
 
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