Today is Windows XP's 20th birthday and you will be surprised how many still use it

​Put your festive hats and shirts on and get ready for a party, because today is the 20th anniversary of Windows XP.

Although this operating system reached the end of support back in 2014, way too many people continue to use this obsolete and insecure version of Windows.

If you remember, Windows XP was released on October 25, 2001, and is considered one of the most loved versions of the OS due to its ease of use, fast performance, and stability.

Too many people still use this obsolete operating system

We have to say that we admire the level of commitment that goes into sticking with XP, and yes, this continued usage is a testament to its success but also raises concerns regarding its lack of security.

As we mentioned before, mainstream support for Windows XP ended on April 14, 2009, with extended support lasting another five years. 

This means that anyone still running Windows XP has not received support from Microsoft for roughly 7.5 years now, including almost all security updates and fixes for vulnerabilities that may have been discovered.

As you would imagine, that is a heck of a lot of time, tech-wise, and more than enough to render the operating system a security nightmare with a large number of unpatched vulnerabilities. 

Microsoft did, however, backport fixes for some of the more serious vulnerabilities in Windows XP. Among them, we can name EternalBlue and BlueKeep, but there are many more vulnerabilities that third parties could exploit.

Of course, this makes connecting a Windows XP device to the Internet a risky operation. That’s the reason why all security professionals recommend users upgrade to a supported version of Windows.

According to StatCounter, the percentage of Windows users using the XP version of the OS in September 2021 is 0.59%, a significant number when you consider how many Windows systems are deployed worldwide. 

The NetMarketShare platform gives the Windows XP operating system a noteworthy 0.26% market share for September 2021. 

One very notable case is that of Armenia, where Windows XP is the most popular OS, enjoying a share of 53.5% among Windows users. 

While the market share for Windows XP is relatively low, too many organizations and users still run this legacy version of Windows.

With cyberattacks and ransomware a constantly evolving threat, using outdated and unsupported systems is too great a risk for organizations, especially if these devices power critical systems.

Are you still using Windows XP or have you moved on to a supported version of the OS? Share your experience with us in the comments section below.