April 8th 2014 was the last day Microsoft will offer support for their Windows XP and Office 2003.
That’s the day that Microsoft will stop supporting XP and Office 2003. And that means no more updates, no more bug fixes, and — perhaps most important of all — no more security patches.
What does this mean for you?
If your systems need to be HIPPA or Massachusetts Data Protection Law 201 CMR 17:00 Standards compliant you will need to be replaced those PCs with a new PCs running Windows 7. One of the requirements for both of these regulations is to have the latest security updates. As of April 8th 2014 Microsoft will stop new security updates for XP.
Running Windows XP SP3 and Office 2003 in your environment after their end of support date may expose your company to potential risks, such as:
- Security & Compliance Risks: 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.
- Lack of Independent Software Vendor (ISV) & Hardware Manufacturers support: A recent industry report from Gartner Research suggests “many independent software vendors (ISVs) are unlikely to support new versions of applications on Windows XP.” And it may stifle access to hardware innovation: most PC hardware manufacturers will stop supporting Windows XP on the majority of their new PC models.