3 ms·

Running Windows 7 is completely irresponsible as it is EOL-ed and not receiving security patches. You can rant and rave all you want but you're a security risk

Running Windows 7 is completely irresponsible as it is EOL-ed and not receiving security patches. You can rant and rave all you want but you're a security risk to yourself and to your company if you bring that machine into work. If you hate the direction Windows took and can't bear to run a version that isn't EOL then it's time either to move to a Linux distribution or switch to macOS. You were never in control of any product made by Microsoft (and you won't be if you switch to macOS). Yelling at them isn't going to change that.

rkagerer 5y ago
Your faith in Microsoft's security patches is charming.
rkagerer 5y ago
You raise a legit concern around security patches, but may not be aware some of us are still on extended security updates through to 2023. For those less fortunate, third parties like 0patch are backporting many critical ones to Win 7. If you pay attention to the disclosed vulnerabilities several can be mitigated in other ways (e.g. registry tweaks, removing compromised components like ATMFD.DLL, etc). And without suggesting reliance on their goodwill, I should point out Microsoft quietly released a couple updates to the general public since their official EOL, and has made exceptions in the past for dire emergencies (e.g. XP / WannaCry). Using an out-of-support OS isn't anyone's first choice, and I'm not endorsing it. But labeling me "completely irresponsible" feels hyperbolic considering you have zero knowledge of where this is being run, the overall security posture, or a complete picture of the tradeoffs informing the decision. Fresh zero-days are discovered all the time even for the latest software, and a good defense in depth lets you mitigate for weakness in one layer by bolstering others. I've encountered knee-jerk reactions like yours before when dealing with genuine circumstances impeding upgrade, and they tend to dissipate after working closely with those concerned to shed a bit more light. I wish Linux were a viable substitute, but for various reasons that isn't always the case (e.g. unsupported software/hardware, investment in platform). In the meantime, just because Microsoft purports their new dogfood is better than the old one doesn't mean I'm going to blindly eat it. There are circumstances where your reaction is warranted. But I'm not a guy trying to bring a feral Win 7 laptop into your corporate network, so, with respect: back off!

rkagerer 5y ago

Your faith in Microsoft's security patches is charming.

rkagerer 5y ago

You raise a legit concern around security patches, but may not be aware some of us are still on extended security updates through to 2023. For those less fortunate, third parties like 0patch are backporting many critical ones to Win 7. If you pay attention to the disclosed vulnerabilities several can be mitigated in other ways (e.g. registry tweaks, removing compromised components like ATMFD.DLL, etc). And without suggesting reliance on their goodwill, I should point out Microsoft quietly released a couple updates to the general public since their official EOL, and has made exceptions in the past for dire emergencies (e.g. XP / WannaCry). Using an out-of-support OS isn't anyone's first choice, and I'm not endorsing it. But labeling me "completely irresponsible" feels hyperbolic considering you have zero knowledge of where this is being run, the overall security posture, or a complete picture of the tradeoffs informing the decision. Fresh zero-days are discovered all the time even for the latest software, and a good defense in depth lets you mitigate for weakness in one layer by bolstering others. I've encountered knee-jerk reactions like yours before when dealing with genuine circumstances impeding upgrade, and they tend to dissipate after working closely with those concerned to shed a bit more light. I wish Linux were a viable substitute, but for various reasons that isn't always the case (e.g. unsupported software/hardware, investment in platform). In the meantime, just because Microsoft purports their new dogfood is better than the old one doesn't mean I'm going to blindly eat it. There are circumstances where your reaction is warranted. But I'm not a guy trying to bring a feral Win 7 laptop into your corporate network, so, with respect: back off!