Microsoft preparing for more malware attacks with patches for Windows XP

ByCraig Haley

Microsoft has released yet another security patch for the long-unsupported Windows XP operating system amidst fears of another WannaCry-like attack.

Despite the operating system being unsupported, many users and businesses still use Windows XP, which contributed to the success of the earlier WannaCry ransomware attacks.

So if Microsoft is prepping for another attack, we should all be doing the same.

Windows XP finally fell off the extended support shelf way back in 2014, meaning no more security updates or patches. But just like Sean Connery’s James Bond, it’s been a very much Never Say Never Again approach.

Only last month did Microsoft relent and chose to release a security patch to protect XP users from the viral WannaCry ransomware attacks. And now another security patch has been released to protect XP users from another possible outbreak of malware.

When it was discovered that the WannaCry ransomware used leaked tools developed by the NSA to spread, most security experts agreed that follow-up attacks were likely, if not imminent, using other leaked NSA-developed tools.


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And everyone has been on high alert ever since. These latest security XP patches are Microsoft’s way of proactively protecting its users from another significant malware attack that the software giant presumably believes is highly likely if not inevitable.

And in the world of cyber security, proactive is definitely better than reactive.

So should we be prepping in much the same way? Absolutely. Ransomware is dangerous and its effects are potentially devastating. This coupled with the fact that it’s a profitable venture for cyber crooks means that it’s not going anywhere any time soon. And the success of the WannaCry attacks isn’t going to discourage crooks from trying again.

So make sure you have the latest updates installed on all the software you use (in this case, that includes Windows XP users) and ensure that your important files are backed up somewhere secure and you have good security software installed and enabled.

And make sure you understand the most popular ways ransomware (and malware in general) infects a computer – read up here.

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