As Microsoft stops support for XP, antivirus vendors won’t – but not for long

It’s official: Microsoft has stopped supporting Windows XP.

However, with people not wanting to move away from Windows XP, experts suggest that this inaction on their part poses a risk as it exposes them to malware and viruses, thanks to Microsoft not working on security patches anymore.

But that’s not entirely true.

Just because Microsoft have stopped creating security patches for XP users, antivirus vendors such as McAfee, Kaspersky and Symantec have all promised to continue doing their bit so as to support XP users for as long as possible.

Yet it should be pointed out that with the exception of Kaspersky which will continue to do this for another two security updates, the others haven’t been so clear about their timelines.

So, no matter how resistant you are to the idea of shifting away from XP, it’s time to start thinking about making a switch since these antivirus vendors will stop supporting it sooner rather than later.

For the simple reason that without their support, you can be sure that your business can be exposed to both malware and viruses – something you don’t want happening!

It’s understandable that the Metro-style interface used in Windows 8 is disliked and there are costs involved in switching away from Windows XP, thanks to a number of companies using programs that work best in XP. Also, you will have the additional cost of training employees to use Windows 7 or 8.

However, it’s clear from the antivirus vendors (and their lack of support soon) that the costs will be greater if you do not consider a move at some point.