Microsoft Forced to Release More Patches for Windows XP (Yep)

Microsoft this calendar week issued rare security patches for older versions of Windows the company no longer officially supports, bolstering their defenses against malicious software from government-sponsored hackers.

SecurityWatch The updates are notable because they are available for Windows XP machines, a version of Windows for which Microsoft ended antimalware support most 3 years ago. They're intended to mitigate threats from future attacks similar to last month'southward WannaCry ransomware infestation, which crippled IT systems beyond the world by encrypting files and asking victims to pay a ransom to go them back.

While ransomware is not a new problem, WannaCry was particularly worrisome to security experts because it originated from leaked hacking tools originally developed by the Usa National Security Agency to exist used in cyber espionage.

Microsoft released WannaCry patches immediately after the assault, including for older Windows operating systems, but it says the new round of updates is designed to shut additional loopholes that could be exploited in hereafter attacks using state-sponsored malware. Windows XP users will need to head to the Windows Update Download Center to install them, while the Windows 10 and Windows 8.1 operating systems will download them automatically.

Windows XP use remains significant: there were millions of people running the operating organization as belatedly as last year. As of May 2022, 5.66 percent of PCs worldwide run the outdated Os, according to Net Applications.

Simply while 2 security patches in the bridge of less than two months might leave Windows XP users with the assumption that Microsoft intends to provide them with plenty security to filibuster an upgrade, they would be mistaken, according to Eric Doerr, general managing director of Microsoft's Security Response Heart.

"Our decision today to release these security updates for platforms not in extended support should non be viewed every bit a difference from our standard servicing policies," he wrote. "Older systems, fifty-fifty if fully up-to-date, lack the latest security features and advancements."