In just three short weeks, Microsoft will cease support for Windows XP. We hope that by now you are aware of this huge security threat and have a plan in place to mitigate your risks. Btech is here to help with any Windows XP support that you may need from migrations to patch management.
Although your credit union may be prepared for the Windows XP end of support, there are external threats that you should be prepared for as well. The Credit Union Times article, Threat of the Week: XP Menace Multiplies by Robert McGarvey, discusses the threat that your members pose if they are still running Windows XP and why it’s important to educate them on the subject.
McGarvey explains, Windows XP “is running on computers used by credit union members who will be accessing online banking, possibly other services, with machines that may well be infected with malware exploiting newly discovered vulnerabilities.” We must presume that “cyber criminals have been stockpiling exploits – counting down to Microsoft’s end of support – and they will release them after Microsoft’s final patch.” Once a member’s computer becomes infected with malware, there is no telling how hackers might use that PC to gain access to your network. So, what should you do to prepare?
- Inform Your Members. “As members log into online banking with XP, tell them they may have risks that need attending to.”
- Identify High-Risk Members. “Savvy credit unions will quickly identify its highest-risk members […] then ‘do an outreach.'”
- Monitor the Threat Landscape. “[Stay] informed about new threats and [keep] tabs on new releases of any financially focused malware.”
Btech provides IT security services to help protect your credit union from the impending threats posed by Microsoft’s end of support for Windows XP and Office 2003. Talk to us today for a free environment assessment.
Read the full article from the Credit Union Times here. To learn more about Microsoft’s end of support, click here.
