Life after Windows XP and Office 2003: Are you exposed?

As of April 8, 2014 Microsoft no longer supports Windows XP and Office 2003, including the cessation of security updates, non-security hotfixes, free or paid-for technical support or online technical content updates.

But what does this mean for practices still running these older systems?

Any new Windows XP or Office 2003 bug or security flaw found after this date will not be fixed by Microsoft. This could leave your entire system vulnerable to viruses or worse, which could result in a total loss or even theft of all of your data.

"We are advising our customers who are still running these out-dated systems to discuss with their IT technician the process to migrate to supported operating systems and any other out-dated software packages their practice may be running such as Office 2003," said David MacDonald, Support Manager for Dental4Windowssql at Centaur Software, "Leaving these older systems in place could result in data loss or theft."

According to Microsoft: Unsupported and unpatched environments are vulnerable to security risks. This may result in an officially recognized control failure by an internal or external audit body, leading to suspension of certifications, and/or public notification of the organization's inability to maintain its systems and customer information.

"In addition, newer third party software is less likely to be developed and tested in conjunction with Windows XP or Office 2003, meaning the new software may not be compatible," Mr MacDonald said.

"Centaur Software is keeping up-to-date with the advances in software by continually testing and certifying its products on the latest Windows Operating Systems. Centaur currently supports its products on all versions of Microsoft Operating Systems that are covered by the Microsoft Lifecycle Policy¹ but also recommends Centaur Software customers use those products under the Mainstream Support Lifecycle Policy, such as Windows 7/8, Server 2008 R2/Server 2012. The ADA has also commented on this recently in its News Bulletin.²

"As with all changes to our customers' systems, Centaur Software strongly recommend customers consult with their IT Technician and all hardware/software vendors before making any changes."

References

1. http://support.microsoft.com/gp/lifeselectindex
2. http://adanewsbulletin.realviewtechnologies.com/default.aspx?iid=88333&startpage=page0000009 - ADA login details required