SMB Tech: Survey Shows XP Still In Use Despite Security Risks

Microsoft Kicks Off Summer with Seven Patch Tuesday Bulletins

Bitdefender, provider of antivirus solutions for home and enterprise, ran a three-month survey of 5,000 SMBs in the U.S., UK, Spain and Germany. The study found that 18 percent of businesses were still conducting their daily business using Windows XP even after the April 8^th support cut-off date.

Although Microsoft was kind enough to provide a patch for one zero-day vulnerability that was discovered just after the end-of-support date, the company likely won’t continue that trend. Catalin Cosoi, Bitdefender’s chief security strategist, warned those still using the dead OS:

…This was an exception that shouldn’t make enterprises believe it will happen again, so the swift migration from XP is a must for all users.

Bitdefender says that hackers are targeting those companies still using the past-its-prime operating system. In fact, according to CBR Online, the company “found one web marketing business that had to tackle nearly 800 million malware attacks over the course of three months.”

Microsoft has done its part to get SMBs to upgrade to a newer, supported OS, such as Windows 7, 8 or 8.1. But it seems some companies are still unable or unwilling to make the move just yet.

Other worrisome facts from the study include that 37 percent of workers at SMBs do their jobs from home or at a remote location, which may promote other potential security issues. The survey found that 17 percent of those responding allowed employees to use their personal devices on the company’s virtual private network with full access.