Wednesday, May 27, 2015


In April 2014, after 12 years on the market, Microsoft completely discontinued their security updates and technical support for the Windows XP operating system. This was a move by Microsoft to force users into moving to Windows 7 or newer. WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT TO YOU? Over time, XP will develop security flaws and cracks that cyber criminals are sure to exploit. In addition, a growing number of apps and devices will not work with XP.

What can you do to protect yourself? First, check with your security provider, whatever company you are currently using for protection against viruses, malware and spam, to confirm whether or not their programs still protect you. For those of you who subscribe to SecureIT Plus, you should have received a letter notifying you that as of June 30, they will no longer be able to support or guarantee protection for anyone still on Windows XP. To stay protected going forward, you should consider either upgrading your operating system to Windows 8.1 or purchasing a new PC with a new operating system. Please keep in mind, some older computers may not be able to handle upgrading to the latest Windows version 8.1.

We recommend that you download and run the Windows Upgrade Assistant (http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/upgrade-from-windows-vista-xp-tutorial) to check if your PC meets the system requirements for Windows 8.1. If it does, you can follow the steps in the tutorial to upgrade if your PC is able.  If your current PC can’t run Windows 8.1, it might be time to consider shopping for a new one.

As your internet provider, we want to make sure we are keeping you up on the latest technology news. If you have XP and SecureIT Plus, please contact us about your options.