This ending-of-life is also opening up a whole new realm of issues; security. With the number of devices out there still running WinXP, hackers around the world will be looking to exploit any and every security hole after Microsoft walks away. ComputerWorld.com recently reported that hackers will be holding off on releasing new exploiting malware until after April for this exact reason; they would like to profit on the unpatched holes in the operating system.
"The average price on the black market for a Windows XP exploit is $50,000 to $150,000, a relatively low price that reflects Microsoft's response," said Fossen. When a new vulnerability -- dubbed a "zero-day" -- is spotted in the wild, Microsoft investigates, pulls together a patch and releases it to XP users.
Source: http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9241585/XP_s_retirement_will_be_hacker_heaven
Not worried or concerned? You should be. It is estimated the aging operating system will be powering more than 33% of the world's personal computers by April next year. That will mean vulnerabilities and exploits will bring come with higher value than they do currently on the market as the number of infectable machines lacking any chance of update is higher.
While many may be concerned about their security, Webroot SecureAnywhere will continue to protect the Windows XP machines well past Microsoft's write-off of XP.
Read more about the predictions at ComputerWorld: http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9241585/XP_s_retirement_will_be_hacker_heaven
