Still rockin’ Microsoft Windows XP on your PC? Firefox is the last major browser left, and support ends in 2017
Time is running out on support for most, if not all major software available to Microsoft Windows XP users.
The decade-and-half old operating system has been retired for three years already, effective April 8th 2014, with a currently dwindling user base, a rather large percentage of which, comprised of unlicensed/pirated installations, in markets like China where Microsoft has tried to first crackdown with fines and lawsuits, and later on with the promise of free upgrades (not really). The final round of end-of-support for major software applications is approaching, as 2017 marks another big one on its way out: Mozilla Firefox, one of the most popular web browsers, with a user base of 15.3% according to the World Wide Web Consortium, falling in second behind Google Chrome, and, as crazy as that sounds, Microsoft Internet Explorer, leaving behind Apple Safari at 3.5%, and Opera at 1.1%.
Mozilla has revealed a cut-off deadline in March 2017, which will effectively end delivery of security updates, and an official end to all updates in September.
While this doesn’t mean that Firefox will no longer run on Windows XP, users should be aware that without security updates, Firefox will leave Windows XP users vulnerable to the latest exploits.
Why this matters?
Just like Google Chrome, MSIE and other major browsers, features and functionalities are added and bug-checked on a steady basis to ensure the best user experience, and the most safe, for users to take advantage of the latest web technologies available in categories like online shopping, banking, social media, and cloud storage, among the major ones.
Using any of these services with an outdated browser is equal to walk blindfolded into a bad neighborhood, wearing your most valuable jewelry: it never goes down well.
Security patches are important, especially when sharing credit card information, or billing information of any kind. There is a lot of information that can be extrapolated from the unsecured sharing of bits and piece of data, whether through a web form, or via other types of input sent over an internet connection.
For instance, government websites like the Department of Motor Vehicles, can only go so far as to provide some level of security when using online services to renew a vehicle’s registration, or a driver’s license. Using an outdated version of any web browsers is a guarantee that whatever information you send through the web will be wide open to hackers.
With that in mind, here’s a good resolution for the New Year: update your operating system to Microsoft Windows 10, or even the still available Windows 7 / Windows 8 (for those who are still not quite sold to Microsoft’s latest OS), to stay safe online in 2017!
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