8 ms·

I'm still on Windows 7 on a 2012 desktop. There's no reason for me to change. I've yet to run into any situation that has required me to upgrade. Since the worl

I'm still on Windows 7 on a 2012 desktop. There's no reason for me to change. I've yet to run into any situation that has required me to upgrade. Since the world is generally web-first, the only thing that matters is Chrome and Firefox. Even running 4K video just required a codec upgrade as opposed to CPU upgrade. Yes there are security concerns but I'm pretty vigilant. I haven't run a virus scanner in 15 years, I'm just extremely paranoid over what I click on and which sites I visit. I run an ad-blocker and pi-hole to decrease any attack vectors. If attacks like spear-phishing become a lot more prevalent and much harder to detect then maybe I'll have to upgrade to keep up with security patches but until then I'm keeping status quo with a lot of backups.

romanovcode 7y ago
> I haven't run a virus scanner in 15 years, https://i.imgflip.com/34p4uf.jpg https://i.imgflip.com/34p4uf.jpg
- pbhjpbhj 7y ago
  I do run them occasionally, but haven't found anything on any Linux install I've ever had (except files I've actively quarantined from email to a) test virus checking and b) analyse for activity [deobfuscating js from Wordpress hacks is fun!]).
- antisthenes 7y ago
  This is not constructive. Security is 90% about good operational procedures and maybe 10% about what OS/Antivirus/whatever you have. And that's being generous. It seems like the 2018+ trend is pushing poor software in the name of security.
iknowstuff 7y ago
And this, ladies and gentlemen, is how we get botnets.
- Crinus 7y ago
  And this, ladies and gentlemen, is a great example of FUD.
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
- gruez 7y ago
  True, but you're just under 1 year too early. Windows 7 is getting security patches till 2020 so he's fine for now.
  - antisthenes 7y ago
    And another 3 years of paid support. There's no reason to believe that those 3 years of patches won't leak to regular consumers.
- SkyBelow 7y ago
  Do you blame Microsoft for leading to this current situation?
theandrewbailey 7y ago
Windows 7 isn't guaranteed any support or updates after next January. Good luck! https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4057281/windows-7-support-will-end-on-january-14-2020 https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4057281/windows-7-s...
- plopz 7y ago
  What does this mean practically when even something as old as XP got a patch just a few months ago?
  - theandrewbailey 7y ago
    Patches might happen, but don't hold your breath. It's at Microsoft's discretion. If they are asked why don't they do something about a new vulnerability on an old OS, they'll say they don't support it anymore, users should upgrade, and that will be that. (Did XP ever get Spectre or Meltdown patches?) Maybe more importantly, third parties will notice that MS isn't supporting it and is telling people to upgrade, so third parties won't support old OSes anymore.
    - judge2020 7y ago
      Companies will continue to pay for support for Windows 7 for at least another 5 years, so I don't see why Microsoft wouldn't push things like 0-day fixes to all existing computers when they fix exploits for paying businesses.
      - WorldMaker 7y ago
        Metrics are that enough companies have moved to Windows 10 that it is increasingly unlikely that Microsoft will over-extend security support for 7 like they did with XP, and the market costs are likely going to be a lot higher for support contracts.
Bartweiss 7y ago
> I'm still on Windows 7 on a 2012 desktop... I haven't run a virus scanner in 15 years, I'm just extremely paranoid over what I click on and which sites I visit. I run an ad-blocker and pi-hole to decrease any attack vectors. To be blunt, this is a bad idea. I'm sympathetic to the general motivation. I think the value and effectiveness of antivirus is generally overstated; it's often a replacement for vigilant browsing, and usually not an adequate replacement. If you keep to trusted sites, don't click email links, and don't ever unblock ads, you can do remarkably well for yourself. (Of course, if you've ever clicked some link and regretted it, it's time to start scanning or wiping.) But you don't have to fall for spear-phishing or click shady ads to get into trouble. Since 2012, much less 2004, we've seen zero-days compromising servers and numerous other threats that could affect you indirectly. If your machine was Lenovo, it quite possibly came with malware. If you've used Sennheiser's setup app, your root certificate store may be poisoned. Further back, if you put Sony BMG music CDs into your machine, they may have given you a rootkit. I don't worry about antivirus much for on-the-web protection; the threats most likely to reach me are the ones it doesn't protect against. But I think it's valuable to have something that keeps up with the history of other known screwups to help protect me against other, stranger threat vectors.
- docker_up 7y ago
  Yes, I forgot to mention I don't visit any questionable sites whatsoever. I've extremely vigilant, more vigilant than 99% of the population I would think, and I take it very seriously. If I need to test a link, I'll use my phone. I built my own desktop so no worries there, I don't have a CD player and I only install trusted apps these days, the only ones in the last few years have been Chrome and Firefox. It's not the most secure method, obviously, but it works for me. And if the environment gets more dangerous than the status quo, I'm flexible enough to know I'll probably be forced to upgrade. I'm not security-ignorant btw. I used to subscribe to both BugTraq and NTBugtraq back in the day and kept up over the decades. I just haven't seen anything in the last several years that can't be solved via not clicking on random links or installing new software. As said, spear-phishing/breaking out of the sandbox or serving malware via ads is my biggest concern these days and if it gets more prevalent then it will warrant a change in my views.
philg_jr 7y ago
I assume you are running Security Essentials (aka Defender in 8 and 10)?
ecmascript 7y ago
> Yes there are security concerns but I'm pretty vigilant. I haven't run a virus scanner in 15 years, I'm just extremely paranoid over what I click on and which sites I visit. Why not simply switch to Linux? That's what I did, that way you don't have to install Windows 10 and don't have to worry about visiting web pages.

romanovcode 7y ago

> I haven't run a virus scanner in 15 years, https://i.imgflip.com/34p4uf.jpg https://i.imgflip.com/34p4uf.jpg

pbhjpbhj 7y ago
I do run them occasionally, but haven't found anything on any Linux install I've ever had (except files I've actively quarantined from email to a) test virus checking and b) analyse for activity [deobfuscating js from Wordpress hacks is fun!]).
antisthenes 7y ago
This is not constructive. Security is 90% about good operational procedures and maybe 10% about what OS/Antivirus/whatever you have. And that's being generous. It seems like the 2018+ trend is pushing poor software in the name of security.

iknowstuff 7y ago

And this, ladies and gentlemen, is how we get botnets.

Crinus 7y ago
And this, ladies and gentlemen, is a great example of FUD.
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
gruez 7y ago
True, but you're just under 1 year too early. Windows 7 is getting security patches till 2020 so he's fine for now.
- antisthenes 7y ago
  And another 3 years of paid support. There's no reason to believe that those 3 years of patches won't leak to regular consumers.
SkyBelow 7y ago
Do you blame Microsoft for leading to this current situation?

theandrewbailey 7y ago

Windows 7 isn't guaranteed any support or updates after next January. Good luck! https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4057281/windows-7-support-will-end-on-january-14-2020 https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4057281/windows-7-s...

plopz 7y ago
What does this mean practically when even something as old as XP got a patch just a few months ago?
- theandrewbailey 7y ago
  Patches might happen, but don't hold your breath. It's at Microsoft's discretion. If they are asked why don't they do something about a new vulnerability on an old OS, they'll say they don't support it anymore, users should upgrade, and that will be that. (Did XP ever get Spectre or Meltdown patches?) Maybe more importantly, third parties will notice that MS isn't supporting it and is telling people to upgrade, so third parties won't support old OSes anymore.
  - judge2020 7y ago
    Companies will continue to pay for support for Windows 7 for at least another 5 years, so I don't see why Microsoft wouldn't push things like 0-day fixes to all existing computers when they fix exploits for paying businesses.
    - WorldMaker 7y ago
      Metrics are that enough companies have moved to Windows 10 that it is increasingly unlikely that Microsoft will over-extend security support for 7 like they did with XP, and the market costs are likely going to be a lot higher for support contracts.

Bartweiss 7y ago

> I'm still on Windows 7 on a 2012 desktop... I haven't run a virus scanner in 15 years, I'm just extremely paranoid over what I click on and which sites I visit. I run an ad-blocker and pi-hole to decrease any attack vectors. To be blunt, this is a bad idea. I'm sympathetic to the general motivation. I think the value and effectiveness of antivirus is generally overstated; it's often a replacement for vigilant browsing, and usually not an adequate replacement. If you keep to trusted sites, don't click email links, and don't ever unblock ads, you can do remarkably well for yourself. (Of course, if you've ever clicked some link and regretted it, it's time to start scanning or wiping.) But you don't have to fall for spear-phishing or click shady ads to get into trouble. Since 2012, much less 2004, we've seen zero-days compromising servers and numerous other threats that could affect you indirectly. If your machine was Lenovo, it quite possibly came with malware. If you've used Sennheiser's setup app, your root certificate store may be poisoned. Further back, if you put Sony BMG music CDs into your machine, they may have given you a rootkit. I don't worry about antivirus much for on-the-web protection; the threats most likely to reach me are the ones it doesn't protect against. But I think it's valuable to have something that keeps up with the history of other known screwups to help protect me against other, stranger threat vectors.

docker_up 7y ago
Yes, I forgot to mention I don't visit any questionable sites whatsoever. I've extremely vigilant, more vigilant than 99% of the population I would think, and I take it very seriously. If I need to test a link, I'll use my phone. I built my own desktop so no worries there, I don't have a CD player and I only install trusted apps these days, the only ones in the last few years have been Chrome and Firefox. It's not the most secure method, obviously, but it works for me. And if the environment gets more dangerous than the status quo, I'm flexible enough to know I'll probably be forced to upgrade. I'm not security-ignorant btw. I used to subscribe to both BugTraq and NTBugtraq back in the day and kept up over the decades. I just haven't seen anything in the last several years that can't be solved via not clicking on random links or installing new software. As said, spear-phishing/breaking out of the sandbox or serving malware via ads is my biggest concern these days and if it gets more prevalent then it will warrant a change in my views.

philg_jr 7y ago

I assume you are running Security Essentials (aka Defender in 8 and 10)?

ecmascript 7y ago

> Yes there are security concerns but I'm pretty vigilant. I haven't run a virus scanner in 15 years, I'm just extremely paranoid over what I click on and which sites I visit. Why not simply switch to Linux? That's what I did, that way you don't have to install Windows 10 and don't have to worry about visiting web pages.