Microsoft had announced a while ago that it was ending its support for Windows 7 operating systems and Server 2008/R2 systems.  What this means is that the platforms will continue to work, but Microsoft will not support the systems or offer patches or updates.  An unpatched machine, of course, is a vulnerable machine since known vulnerabilities can be exploited by hackers to obtain or corrupt data on that computer, seize it in a ransomware attack, or corrupt it in some other fashion.

That might not matter to a home user with no valuable data on the PC, but for any business user with a Windows 7 machine attached to a network, or holding valuable data, this is a concern.  There are still updates available for Windows 7 users to upgrade to Windows 10 as long as the machine will support it, or it may be time to trade in an old PC and upgrade the hardware and software at the same time.

As our video below indicates, the “end of life” for Windows 7 is January 14, 2020!

How does this intersect with Cyber Insurance?

Well, one of the common warranty statements made on a cyber application is that you (the business insured) regularly update and patch all machines on your network.  While that statement may be true as of signing the application, if you don’t upgrade a Windows 7 machine and you’re company is hacked or taken ransom, you may have a problem with a cyber insurance claim because you’ve violated that warranty.

The point is that it’s better to be safe than sorry.

The startling news is that almost a third of personal computers out there are running Windows 7!  That means that hackers have a lot of targets to work on in the coming months.  To avoid being one of those targets, upgrade your machines, and most importantly purchase Cyber Insurance if you haven’t already.

Want to find out what cyber insurance costs?  Drop me an email or give me a call by clicking the next steps button and tell me the name of your company and your annual revenues and I’ll get you a cyber premium indication right away.  If the premium looks good to you, I’ll ask you to complete a short one-page application to firm up our premium and offer you a binder if acceptable.  Fast, easy, excellent coverage!