Microsoft has already said it will end its official support of Windows XP on April 8th but what about putting out new antivirus updates for the OS in the company's free Microsoft Security Essentials program? A new statement from Microsoft says we should not expect that kind of update to continue past Windows XP's support cut off date.
In a note sent to ZDNet, Microsoft said it "will not guarantee updates of our antimalware signature and engine" after April 8th. It sounds like the company, in theory, could make a decision to continue its antivirus updates after support for Windows XP ends but is preparing XP users for the worst. The statement added:
Running antivirus on out of support operating systems is not an adequate solution to help protect against threats. Running a well-protected solution starts with using modern software and hardware designed to help protect against today’s threat landscape.
Earlier this week, Microsoft released its latest edition of its Security Intelligence Report, where it stated that malware infection rates for Windows XP is nearly six times higher than that of Windows 8, and that's with full support for the 12 year old OS. When it ends in less than six months, the infection risk will be far higher.
Source: ZDNet | Image via Microsoft
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