The FBI has observed cyber criminals targeting computer network infrastructure after an operating system achieves end of life status. Continuing to use Windows 7 within an enterprise may provide cyber criminals access into computer systems.
As time passes, this antiquated operating system becomes more vulnerable to exploitation due to lack of security updates and new vulnerabilities discovered. Microsoft and other industry professionals strongly recommend upgrading computer systems to an actively supported operating system.
Migrating to a new operating system can pose its own unique challenges, such as cost for new hardware and software and updating existing custom software. However, these challenges do not outweigh the loss of intellectual property and threats to an organization.
The FBI issued a warning that Windows 7 Machines are vulnerable to becuase of lack of support.
On 14 January 2020, Microsoft ended support for the Windows 7 operating system, which includes security updates and technical support unless certain customers purchased an Extended Security Update (ESU) plan. The ESU plan is paid per-device and available for Windows 7 Professional and Enterprise versions, with an increasing price the longer a customer continuesuse. Microsoft will only offer the ESU plan until January 2023. Continued use of Windows 7 creates the risk of cyber criminal exploitation of a computer system.
As of May 2019, an open source report indicated 71 percent of Windows devices used in healthcare organizations ran an operating system that became unsupported in January 2020. Increased compromises have been observed in the healthcare industry when an operating system has achieved end of life status. After the Windows XP end of life on 28 April 2014, the healthcare industry saw a large increase of exposed
records the following year.
Cyber criminals continue to find entry points into legacy Windows operating systems and leverage Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) exploits. Microsoft released an emergency patch for its older operating systems, including Windows 7, after an information security researcher discovered the RDP vulnerability called BlueKeep in May 2019. Since the end of July 2019, malicious RDP activity has increased with the development of a working commercial exploit for the BlueKeep vulnerability.
Cyber criminals often use misconfigured or improperly secured RDP access controls to conduct cyber attacks. The xDedic Marketplace, taken down by law enforcement in 2019, flourished by compromising RDP vulnerabilities around the world. Read about other FBI Announcements on our Site Here
In 2017, roughly 98 percent of systems infected with WannaCry employed Windows 7 based operating systems. After Microsoft released a patch in March 2017 for the computer exploit used by the WannaCry ransomware, many systems remained unpatched when the WannaCry attacks began in May 2017. With fewer customers able to maintain a patched Windows 7 system after its end of life, cyber criminals will continue to view Windows 7 as a soft target.
Read the FBI Press Release a here
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