New Data on Security Risks of Older Operating Systems: Justifying a Windows Upgrade

Technology is always changing, but let's be honest. Most of us don't like change all that much, even - or maybe especially - when it comes to technology. New isn't always better, we argue, as we try to keep hold of the software applications we are familiar with. Sometimes the new technology really is better and more intuitive.

And sometimes the new technology is the Windows Vista operating system. Admittedly, Vista wasn't Microsoft's best offering, but users not only balked at using the OS when it was introduced, many switched back to XP. Maybe it was simply that they were so comfortable with XP that they didn't want to change to anything new. The new features of Windows 7 or Windows 8 can't convince a lot of people to leave XP, even if Microsoft is pulling the plug on supporting the old OS in 2014.

What people want to use on their personal computer should be their own business, but within the corporate environment, the newest version of the OS should be embraced. The reason is simple - security. And beyond the influence of Windows 8 on upcoming Microsoft Dynamics releases, the new OS is expected to improve on the security of Windows 7, which is heads and tails ahead of XP in security features.

Upgrading OS throughout the corporate environment isn't cheap, and even some in the IT department may be reluctant to make the switch until it is absolutely necessary. However, according to researchers with security company Fortinet Research, those legacy XP machines are at a high vulnerability risk, which could affect the network or put business and customer data in jeopardy. As was stated in the FortiBlog:

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