Computers are a normal part of our lives, running everything from our power grid to our angry Facebook posts about whatever Nancy Pelosi said today. We make purchases online, store medical and finance documents, and do so much more. And for the sake of your own security, Gentle Reader, you need to be aware of a coming date.
On Jan. 14, 2020, Microsoft will end support for all computers running Windows 7, according to The Daily Mail. What that means in non-technical-speak is the company will no longer issue free security updates. Normally, when hackers uncover a security hole in an operating system like Windows or iOS, Microsoft or Apple will write a patch to fix the hole and send it to all computers, keeping them safe.
After January 2020, Microsoft will stop issuing those security updates for Windows 7 computers. If hackers find a hole, Microsoft will shrug and say, "Upgrade." And that's exactly what most should be prepared to do.
Upgrading will probably be cheaper than buying a new computer, and if you aren't sure how to upgrade, you can call in one of the grandkids to do it for you. That's what they're for, right?
Few people like change when it comes to their computers. Ask us sometime about the last newsroom upgrade. If you still have Windows 7 at home, it's because you're comfortable with it.
But at least the computer-using public--that is, all of us--is getting a one-year warning. We have more than 300 days to upgrade from an operating system that was introduced in 2009.
A whopping 43 percent of computers around the world still use Windows 7. Shockingly, 4 percent of computers are still running on Windows XP, which was released in 2002 and has long since been discontinued by Microsoft.
Upgrading computers, especially in the government where red tape and bureaucracy reign, can be especially difficult. That's why after Microsoft discontinued support for Windows XP in 2014, the U.S. Navy started paying the company millions of dollars to continue updates for their computers that were still running the software.
Viruses, stolen identities, compromised bank accounts, these are all at increased risk from hackers if your Windows machine goes without security updates. So get crackin'.
And before you start complaining about being forced into an unfamiliar version of Windows, remember you can always drop $1,000 on a Mac and learn an entirely new operating system. Or, for the real nerds, drop both and install a version of Linux, which is free but is an entirely different ballgame.
Editorial on 01/17/2019