The demise of Microsoft's popular Windows XP is not good news for Britain's biggest public-sector bodies as the OS will now be vulnerable to cyber-attacks.
Like it or not, Microsoft is ready to pull the support plug for its Windows XP desktop operating systems. This leaves not just individuals vulnerable to cyber-attacks but a recent report says that Britain's biggest public-sector bodies will also be at risk. The Redmond software giant announced the last date for its free support for XP as April 8, after which users will need to pay to get dedicated support on an annual basis.
The affect will be massive in April for big names like Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, HMRC, and the National Health Service, NHS, in England and Scotland that will continue using Windows XP even after the deadline. This puts the people's personal data such as health and tax information in jeopardy. Microsoft, however, is offering an alternative for users who wish to continue using the older OS. Customers will have to pay hefty prices just to get dedicated support from Microsoft, $200 for first year, $400 for second and $800 for a third year, according to a report fromThe Guardian.
As for the HMRC and NHS, neither organization is willing to pay such a hefty price for each system under its network of thousands. But the users within HMRC and NHS will continue to browse the internet from their vulnerable Windows XP systems.
"Ministers have dropped the ball and this could lead to a hackers' free-for-all with people's personal data. Millions of families will be fearful that their private health and tax information could be stolen as a result of the government's failing computer protection programs," Jonathan Ashworth, shadow Cabinet Office minister, told Guardian.
In defense, an HMRC spokesperson said that the organization is taking precautionary measures to keep users' information secure and is currently upgrading the IT software.
