Windows 7 is EOL: What next? | Malwarebytes Labs - What does end of support mean for you?

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And of course, they have a point. If cybercriminals discover a vulnerability in Windows 7, there is no guarantee that this vulnerability will be patched by Microsoft.

And while there is still a large Windows 7 user base, it pays off for the cybercriminals to weaponize such a vulnerability and use it to their advantage. Keep in mind that most of the exploit kits active in the wild focus on older vulnerabilities, which will not be patched if you are using EOL software. While the call to move on to Windows 10 by Microsoft makes it sound mighty safe, what exactly are these security features that Windows 10 has over Windows 7?

We know it'll be supported by Microsoft, and therefore any known vulnerabilities will be patched. Its other security features are as follows:. On the downside, you might argue that Windows 10 has a lot of new features that tend to come with new problems and risks. However, Windows 10 has been around for a while now, so the worst problems should have been tackled.

However, we want to stress: Moving on to a new operating system, while safer than sticking with a legacy system, is no substitute for a strong security solution. Even Windows 10 machines need anti-malware protection.

According to a spokesperson from our malware removal staff, the correlation between browser use and malware is actually higher than the one between OS version and malware. Meaning: The browser you use has a much bigger impact on the likelihood of being infected than the OS that you use.

So even if you switch over to Windows 10 but keep using Google Chrome, you can still be easily infected. Now that Windows 10 has switched over to Edge, many cybercriminals are focusing on exploits for Google Chrome , one of the most popular browsers today. To avoid potential infection—or because they're looking for a change— some Windows users might consider moving to entirely different operating systems, such as Mac or Linux.

But layering up built-in protection with security software is important, even if you decide to switch. For example, the long-standing myth that Macs are safer than Windows systems has been proven wrong. As you can read in our State of Malware Report , Mac threats increased exponentially in comparison to those against Windows PCs in , with nearly double the threats per Mac endpoint than Windows. In some cases, people may consider switching to a Chromebook, which is certainly a cheaper option if it offers enough capabilities to replace your current Windows desktop or laptop.

But even Chromebooks can—and do—get infected. However, even if they do, Linux OSes are not free from malware. They're simply attacked less often because cybercriminals understand their user base isn't as large and therefore, their payday isn't as big.

Currently over 23 percent of Windows users worldwide are still on Windows 7, and only 69 percent have already switched to Windows Oddly enough, the percentage of Windows 7 users has hardly decreased after reaching the EOL date in January from roughly 24 percent to 23 percent. With this huge amount of potentially unpatched systems still active in the market, any exploitable vulnerability will result in a widespread disaster.

We will never know. What we do know that Windows 8 and 10 did not need to be patched for the vulnerability that was used to spread WannaCry. They were not contributing to the choir of systems trying to infect their neighbors. Emergency patches were released for several older Windows versions, including Windows 7. At the time, Windows 7 was still supported. It is not our habit to promote our own products in our blogs, but we wanted to let you know that whichever OS and browser you chose next, we've your back.

As a demonstration, here is a list of the available Malwarebytes consumer versions created to protect our users:. Malwarebytes for Windows. Malwarebytes for Mac. Malwarebytes for Chromebook. Malwarebytes for Android. Malwarebytes for iOS. Malwarebytes Browser Guard for Firefox and Chrome. Download links, pricing, and more information, such as a list of our business offerings and customer reviews, can be found on our pricing page.

Pieter Arntz Malware Intelligence Researcher. You can upgrade your existing PC to Windows 10, and Microsoft has done a good job of ensuring that its new operating system works reasonably well with older hardware. Check out our pick of the best laptops and best desktop PCs for help in choosing a new device.

Although Microsoft has officially stopped offering a free Windows 10 upgrade to Windows 7 and Windows 8. All you need to do is use the Windows Media Creation Tool opens in new tab and select to upgrade from there. Enter in your Windows 7 or Windows 8 licence key, and you should soon have a Windows 10 running — for free.

You need to make sure you choose to upgrade your Windows 7 installation, rather than installing a fresh version of Windows If you choose that option, check out our pick of the cheapest Windows 10 prices.

The fact that it is still so easy to upgrade to Windows 10 for free makes us think that Microsoft quietly approves of this unofficial method — and the company is just keen to get as many Windows 7 users to move to Windows 10 as possible.

For example, Linux is a great choice. There are Linux distros that are user-friendly, so you can get up and running without having used Linux before, and many have similar user interfaces to Windows 7, making you feel right at home. Check out our guide to the best Linux distros for more help and advice. First of all, make sure you back up all of your important files and folders onto an external hard drive or USB drive. Check out our pick of the best external hard drives for help choosing the right one for your needs.

Check out our guide on how to prepare for Windows 7 End of Life for more information. Even after the Windows 7 End of Life phase begins, Microsoft will continue to provide updates for the Microsoft Security Essentials MSE app , which is the built-in antivirus program included in Windows 7.

For more protection, check out our pick of the best antivirus software. Matt is TechRadar's Managing Editor for Computing and Entertainment, looking after two of the best, and most exciting, channels on the site. He's also a huge film and TV fan and Marvel geek, and his favorite recent film is Dune.