Jan 15 (Japan Times) - Microsoft Corp. stops providing free support for the Windows 7 operating system Tuesday, and warned that an estimated 13.9 million computers in Japan still using the system could become more vulnerable to viruses and hacking.
According to Microsoft’s Japan unit, an estimated 7.53 million computers in Japanese offices and local government facilities and 6.38 million in households are still using Windows 7, comprising around 20 percent of all active Windows computers in the country.
With the end of support, users need to upgrade to Windows 10 or other operating systems. They should also consider buying new computers as older machines may not be compatible with the newer software, the company said.
Microsoft has provided free updates for Windows 7 users to fix security bugs regularly, around once a month, but these services will end by 11:59 p.m. Tuesday.
It said more than 9 million computers are expected to still be running Windows 7 as of July when the Tokyo Olympics get underway.
“The Tokyo Olympics will increase global attention and make (Japan) susceptible to cyberattacks,†a company official warned.
Ritsumeikan University professor Tetsutaro Uehara, an expert on cybersecurity, noted that computers infected with a virus are vulnerable to being “hacked and misused for cyberattacks.â€
Some information security firms such as Trend Micro Inc. will for the time being continue to offer services to protect Windows 7 users who need time to upgrade to a new operating system but said they may not be able to fully prevent a computer virus infection.
