Apple’s recently-patched security flaw spanned both iOS and Mac OS X. Oddly enough, it also serves as a reminder of why we’re likely to see some major nastiness once support for Windows XP finally ends in April.
Ugly picture from Shutterstock
As Paul Ducklin points out on Sophos’ Naked Security blog, identifying the presence of the vulnerability in Mac OS X was much easier once we knew it existed in iOS. The same will be true when new flaws are revealed in current Windows versions: the chances are that many of those will also exist in Windows XP. The difference is XP will never be fixed, making it an attractive target for miscreants:
This is the same sort of problem that will plague Windows XP when XP’s final security patch is shippped in April 2014. Patches for Windows 7 and Windows 8 might lead researchers to an identical but unpatched bug in Windows XP. Unlike in this case, where OS X “caught up” within a few days, Windows XP will never catch up — in fact, it will be behind for ever.
The bottom line? Windows XP has to go — from both business and personal environments. And yet we can be sure there will still be plenty of holdouts come April.
Apple ships OS X 10.9.2 [Naked Security]
Comments
17 responses to “Apple’s Security Issue Reminds Us Why Windows XP Is About To Get Ugly”
Mmm, still have an XP based WHS. Been seeing a craptonne of updates lately, unfortunately because it doesn’t have RAID and uses software based JBOD, if I upgrade the OS I’ll have a tonne of smaller drives.
I believe it’s actually based on Windows Server 2003 R2, at least according to Wikipedia.
You are correct sir
Bit longer support?
Same time next year from memory, along with a few others SQL 2005 I’m pretty sure.
Ah good, I can leave it till next year. Tbh I’ll probably just build a Windows 8 mini ITX box for CAD that will have a crapload of HDD storage.
I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect people to upgrade their OS once every 14 years…
I have seen more XP machines out there than Vista, 7, or 8 combined. I still have 2 of them!
Windows 8 SUCKS Big Time! I got a new computer with 8.1 on it, and I HATE it!!! That is the best thing Microsoft did for it’s competition. They left off the start button, start screen, and so many other things. 7 was pretty good, I have a 7 machine also. I really like 7, I think it is about their best OS. (I am not an IT geek, just average user skills, I guess)
I think Microsoft’s biggest problem with 8 is the “one size fits all” concept does not really work!!!
They need a LOT more research & development before they do that. Meanwhile, we are stuck with this piece of shit called Windows 8!!!
I can tell by your savvy use of exclamation points that you are infact an incredibly technically minded person.
Is that ment to be an insult? Just wondering.
Not an insult as such.. You just might be my dad.
Lol….
I don’t understand why people have trouble with Win8, it took me about five minutes to get my head around and then it was no harder than Win7 with twice the speed.
“It’s different and I don’t like it” seems to be a big thing with most people.
I’ve seen very few legitimate complains about interruptions to daily usage on Win8.
Realistically my workflow is a crapload quicker than it ever was under Windows 7. Far quicker to swap applications, love snap and being able to put something you need to reference to the side while having your main program take up 4/5 of the screen without labouring to get the window sizes right.
same – and as I generally start applications two ways (pinned to taskbar, and from search), only obscure use cases are affected. Even then, generally positive.
Which is exactly the same way I opened programs in windows 7. I hadn’t opened All Programs for years.
You don’t have 8.1, because it has a start button…