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I was discussing this with ocdtrekkie the other day; see here if you're interested: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19341697 https://news.ycombinator.com/

I was discussing this with ocdtrekkie the other day; see here if you're interested: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19341697 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19341697 Also, the extended security updates you're talking about are only currently being offered to Enterprise customers. Given that the market we were talking about in that previous HN discussion was non-enterprise users, who also don't have access to a version of Windows 10 without the antifeatures, unfortunately the extended security updates programme for 7 doesn't solve the fundamental problem here. As another point of curiosity, since HN doesn't show scores any more, my comments in that previous discussion were significantly upvoted. Apparently I am not the only one with these concerns...

walterbell 8y ago
There are hundreds of millions of Windows 7 installations globally. There will be strong incentives to protect installations that cannot be upgraded to Windows 10, due to custom enterprise software or other constraints. Windows XP received many security fixes, some even appeared after the end of extended support. Global business realities can lead to policy changes. Worst case, customers can firewall Windows 7 business apps from public networks, and run Linux on another monitor.
- ocdtrekkie 8y ago
  WannaCry demonstrated an incredible ability to use a single vulnerable PC to elevate itself and gain access to an entire network of PCs that were not, themselves, vulnerable. The way that WannaCry spread from PC to PC is largely still not mitigated against in most environments: Using the shared admin credentials from one to access others. (The solution is called LAPS, but it's use is much less widespread than it should be.) Which is to say, having a single PC on your network vulnerable to it put your entire network at risk. While a fully patched Windows 7 machine today can't be infected by WannaCry, after January, it will be vulnerable to new malware. And malware that spreads similarly to WannaCry is certainly possible. Considering that you could start an infection from a malicious file brought to the vulnerable PC from another one on your network (which was itself, immune), firewalling a Windows 7 PC from accessing public networks is inadequate: You need to unplug Windows 7 PCs from all networks altogether. Note that from personal experience, I've managed a fully Windows 10 environment using multiple pieces of software written solely for Windows XP environments. The number of devices which truly can't be upgraded is much lower than people claim, likely due to a skills gap of some sort. For the most part, the only thing truly locked to a given Windows version tends to be unsupported hardware drivers for very obscure hardware items.

walterbell 8y ago

There are hundreds of millions of Windows 7 installations globally. There will be strong incentives to protect installations that cannot be upgraded to Windows 10, due to custom enterprise software or other constraints. Windows XP received many security fixes, some even appeared after the end of extended support. Global business realities can lead to policy changes. Worst case, customers can firewall Windows 7 business apps from public networks, and run Linux on another monitor.

ocdtrekkie 8y ago
WannaCry demonstrated an incredible ability to use a single vulnerable PC to elevate itself and gain access to an entire network of PCs that were not, themselves, vulnerable. The way that WannaCry spread from PC to PC is largely still not mitigated against in most environments: Using the shared admin credentials from one to access others. (The solution is called LAPS, but it's use is much less widespread than it should be.) Which is to say, having a single PC on your network vulnerable to it put your entire network at risk. While a fully patched Windows 7 machine today can't be infected by WannaCry, after January, it will be vulnerable to new malware. And malware that spreads similarly to WannaCry is certainly possible. Considering that you could start an infection from a malicious file brought to the vulnerable PC from another one on your network (which was itself, immune), firewalling a Windows 7 PC from accessing public networks is inadequate: You need to unplug Windows 7 PCs from all networks altogether. Note that from personal experience, I've managed a fully Windows 10 environment using multiple pieces of software written solely for Windows XP environments. The number of devices which truly can't be upgraded is much lower than people claim, likely due to a skills gap of some sort. For the most part, the only thing truly locked to a given Windows version tends to be unsupported hardware drivers for very obscure hardware items.