Moving to Newer Operating Systems May be a Safety Issue
A study by Fortinet Research shows that it’s “smarter” to move to a new operating system than to maintain an older version. That could be especially relevant now given that support for Windows XP will end in April, 2014 -- which isn’t that far away.
A study of its malware database revealed that the number of vulnerabilities was significantly greater for older operating systems because “exploit kits and existing malicious code have had ample time to mature and circulate.” The firm said that it’s also harder to find a working rootkit for Windows 7 than for Windows XP, crediting such technologies as PatchGuard, which protects the OS kernel from modifications. The same may also be true about Windows 8.
You can read more here.
-- James E. Powell
Editorial Director, ESJ
Posted on 09/17/2012