Microsoft ends support for Windows XP and Office 2003

Microsoft is ending support for the Windows XP operating system and Office 2003 product line on April 8, 2014. After this date, these products will no longer receive:

1. Security patches which help protect PCs from harmful viruses, spyware, and other malicious software
2. Assisted technical support from Microsoft
3. Software and content updates

All software products have a lifecycle. End of support refers to the date when Microsoft no longer provides automatic fixes, updates, or online technical assistance. As of February 2014, nearly 30 percent of Internet-connected PCs still run Windows XP.

Microsoft will send “End of Support” notifications to users of Windows XP who have elected to receive updates via Windows Update. Users in organizations using Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), System Center Configuration manager, or Windows Intune will not receive the notification.

The Impact
Computer systems running unsupported software are exposed to an elevated risk to cybersecurity dangers, such as malicious attacks or electronic data loss.

Users may also encounter problems with software and hardware compatibility since new software applications and hardware devices may not be built for Windows XP or Office 2003.

Organizations that are governed by regulatory obligations may find they are no longer able to satisfy compliance requirements.


What is the Solution?
Computers operating Windows XP with SP3 or running Office 2003 products will continue to work after support ends. However, using unsupported software may increase the risk of viruses and other security threats.

Users have the option to upgrade to a currently supported operating system or office productivity suite. The Microsoft “End of Support” pages for Windows XP andOffice 2003 offer additional details.

There are software vendors and service providers in the marketplace who offer assistance in migrating from Windows XP or Office 2003 to a currently supported operating system or office productivity suite.

Users who choose to continue using Windows XP after the end of support may mitigate some risks by using a web browser other than Internet Explorer. The Windows XP versions of some alternative browsers will continue to recieve support temporarily. Users should consult the support pages of their chosen alternative browser for more details.

So Windows XP users must migrate to Windows7 otherwise be careful about viruses and cyber threats.

Apple iCloud stormed by Dutch Hackers

Apple cloud service "iCloud" is probably one of the secure cloud service owned by the Apple Inc. It the same cloud storage and cloud computing service provided by the Apple Inc. to its users since October 2011 with more than 320 million users across the world. 

Couple of the hackers go by the name AquaXetine and Moroccan hacker with the name Merruktechnolog, have claimed to hack the Apple iCloud system. Hackers have used the Man-in-Middle attack for the hack of the Apple locked devices. 

According to a report from Dutch news organization De Telegraaf, the hackers purchased locked iPhone devices for $50 to $150 each and then bypassed Apple’s iCloud activation lock through a serious security vulnerability Apple has failed to patch with its most recent updates. iCloud service allows users to store and back-up data such as music, photos, applications, documents, bookmarks, reminders, backups, notes, iBooks, and contacts, and provides a platform for Apple's email servers and calendars. 

Security experts says that hackers can do more thing with the vulnerability. Attacker can read the message and also steal the Apple ID credentials from the devices. Hackers have worked for five months to breach the security of Apple iCloud system. Last day Doulci hacker group on their twitter have posted that the group have “processed” more than 5,700 Apple devices in just five minutes using the hack. With the good intention and with ethical subject, hackers have reported the vulnerability to Apple Security team back in March, but Apple team have never responded to their vulnerability report. 

This makes the hackers to disclose the vulnerability publicly. The pair of hackers are offering unlocking services via doulCi.nl website, according to information found on their website. With this doulCi is the world’s first Alternative iCloud Server, and the world’s first iCloud Activation Bypass.

Tips from cyber experts to tread safely

They know the risks of the internet better than anyone, but most cyber experts still shop and bank online with care.

"We operate in the 21st century ... I've got to shop online, I've got to pay my bills online," Brigadier General Paul Nakasone, deputy commander of US Army Cyber Command, said at the Reuters Cybersecurity Summit.

"You can't really function without it," agreed Nart Villeneuve, researcher at the cybersecurity firm FireEye.

Some actions can leave you wide open for data abuse, like checking into a hotel and handing over a credit card, he said. "I guess you could pull up with a money clip but I don't know that you can even do that," he said.

The tricks that the smartest cybersecurity minds use for online safety hygiene are basic: Avoid websites that are visibly questionable, don't thoughtlessly click on links or attachments, monitor your account activity regularly and only give away the minimum amount of information.

On passwords, the bulwark of online security, experts also stuck to simple rules: Make them complex and change regularly. Some also said they use more secure login processes when available.

"I tend to be a bit of a two-factor authentication freak," said Eddie Schwartz, cyber chief at Verizon, saying he always takes advantage of any extra security steps offered, like

confirming his login with a code sent to his cellphone.

Another key to safe online shopping and banking is using internet connections that are as secure as possible.

"I never do it on the road. I never do it from my mobile device," said Michael Hayden, former director of the CIA and the National Security Agency.

While most experts avoid using public wireless internet connections, some go further.

"I have a separate computer and router for financial transactions," said Dan Kaufman, director of information innovation at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the arm of the US Defense Department credited with inventing the internet.

Kaufman said he searches for potential online purchases on one computer, them moves to a second computer to make the transaction.

Digital Bond CEO Dale Peterson had a similar strategy: a separate computer, "with its own 20-plus character password," for online banking and payroll purposes.

In a breach revealed in December by US retailer Target Corp, some 40 million credit or debit card records and 70 million other customer records, such as addresses and telephone numbers, were stolen. The perpetrators remain at large.

Several cyber experts said they felt less concerned about the potential to lose credit card data, because of limited liability, but draw the line at online banking and modern conveniences like depositing checks by smartphone.

"I'm paranoid about online banking," said Stuart McClure, CEO of security firm Cylance. "I'm a little bit more comfortable now but I hate to do online banking. I hate it.

"I used to change my passwords so much that I'd forget them over time. And I never ever put my PIN into anything electronic, only physical devices. And even then, I'm pulling up, looking for skimmers," he said, referring to devices made to secretly swipe card information from ATM machines.

Is total avoidance a solution?

"I am not one who says that the answer is to withdraw from the digital world that we live in. I just don't think that's particularly realistic," said Admiral Mike Rodgers, the new director of the NSA. "Let's deal with the world the way it is."