The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #169743 Message #4103689
Posted By: DaveRo
27-Apr-21 - 08:24 AM
Thread Name: Tech: Anyone Still Using Windows 7?
Subject: RE: Tech: Anyone Still Using Windows 7?
You won't get updates to Windows itself to fix security flaws so you'll be relying absolutely on your 'antivirus' for that. I think MS 'extended support' carries on until 2023 so presumably the AV makers will watch what bugs MS fixes and mitigate the flaws - if they can - by trying to detect threats which exploit them. But the flaws will always be there - like a house with faulty locks.
Less obvious is that internet security standards have moved on since Windows 7. For example TLS, which handles HTTPS, released v1.3 in 2018 which is not supported by default in Win7. This will not be a problem for a few years - sites will fall back to the less secure TLS1.2 - but it's an example of a security vulnerability that cannot be papered over by antivirus software.
Use a modern browser since these mitigate against modern online threats. Not Internet Explorer, obviously; Firefox preferably, Chrome if you must, or Brave perhaps. Even if you think you don't visit 'unsafe' websites you will certainly be targeted by 'malvertising' - malware embedded in adverts. So blocking adverts, with uBlock Origin or AdBlockPlus for example, is good for security as well as improving the experience.
This Android 9 tablet is out of support but it's my main device for browsing, using Firefox. So I treat it as insecure and do not use it for banking or online purchasing. Mind you, I'd regard Android as insecure even if it was the latest version!