Over 5.5 million PCs in Vietnam at risk as Windows XP support ends

With this deadline only one year away, it is essential for small and medium sized businesses (SMB) and consumers in Vietnam to migrate from XP, an 11 years old operating system, to avoid vulnerabilities and risks that have the potential to cause business disruption and extra costs.

From April 8, 2014, Microsoft will no longer provide automatic fixes, updates, or online technical assistance for Windows XP. This also means that users will no longer receive security updates that help protect PCs from harmful viruses, spyware, and other malicious software that can steal personal information.

“While XP was one of the most popular operating systems in Microsoft’s history, it was not designed to handle the challenges of today, such as the increased exposure to cyber-attacks and demands for more data privacy. By far, the security risk is the most concerning for customers as there are more sophisticated forms of attack which can impact safety of personal information and the hidden costs associated with support and business continuity,” said Vu Minh Tri, Microsoft Vietnam’s general director.

In March 2013, according to StatCounter, Windows XP still makes up 45.8 per cent of operating systems on computers in Vietnam. That equates to over 5.5 million PCs.  This is high, compared to an Asia average of 34 per cent. Industry analysts are all in agreement that now is the time to upgrade from the decade old software.

"Windows XP has been a major platform that both consumers and business alike have depended on for many, many years now," said Bryan Ma, associate vice president of Client Devices Research at IDC Asia/Pacific. "And yet with the termination of extended support for XP looming ahead, it is important that preparations be made to migrate to newer versions of the OS in order to make sure that users can continue to rely on their systems".

In addition, Alan Tong, director of Frost & Sullivan in Asia Pacific commented, “The increasing new technology in mobile computing and the sophistication of network security attacks will test the performance of XP when the support ceases. Enterprises need to consider the functional costs and the vulnerability of their PCs if they continue with the existing OS.”

“Whether you’re a SMB or consumer in Vietnam, the dangers of continued use of XP are real and the risks should not be under-estimated. Windows XP is three generations behind Microsoft’s most modern operating system so continuing to use PCs with XP is similar to driving a car without a seat belt or a motorbike without a helmet. The risks are real and the only way to protect yourself and the organisation is to upgrade. As per technology perspective, Windows XP nowadays could not understand the new hardware devices. More than that, they also could not perform perfectly if base on the old OS,” said Pham Hong Phuoc, chief editor of Digital Supermarket.

According to the Microsoft’s Security Intelligence Report, Volume 13, released in June 2012, Windows XP with SP3 is three times more vulnerable than Windows 7 SP1. In addition, to the severe security issues, continued use of XP poses additional threats including compliance issues such as encryption, hashing, and signing, while more than 60 per cent of independent software vendors and modern browsers no longer support XP.

Nguyen Quang Trung, general director of TAFICO said: “For us, moving to Windows 7 and Windows 8 was a no-brainer, it has lots of modern security built in and so gives us comfort we are not left unprotected. Productivity-wise, it allows our staff to benefit from all the new features of Windows including secure mobile access from laptops and tablets. Prior to upgrading, we were starting to spend extra time and money having to respond to service requests associated with the old operating system. By moving to Windows 7 and Windows 8, we can deliver consistent IT standards and tools across the company, without compromising our desire for greater efficiency. As a business person, I have great peace of mind with this decision”.

To support SMBs in this effort, Microsoft today announced the Windows Upgrade Centre website, where SMBs can get more information about this issue, learn from analysts and other customers in the region. Microsoft also advises SMB customers to look out for special offers from their resellers in the next few months.