Why Are There Still So Many Windows 7 Devices?

As the FBI warns, devices become more vulnerable to exploitation as time passes, due to a lack of security updates and new, emerging vulnerabilities.

More than six months after the end of life of Windows 7, the operating system is still alive and well. In fact, devices are nearly just as prevalent as they were last year.

Windows 7 devices accounted for 15% of all endpoint operating systems in the Forescout Device Cloud as of June. While this is not a comprehensive account of all devices, it represents a significant sample size with more than 12 million unique IT, Internet of Things, and operational technology (OT) devices across every major industry.

As a sign of the operating system's prevalence overall, it was only in January 2019 — four years after it first launched — that Microsoft's most recent operating system Windows 10 surpassed Windows 7 in usage. Microsoft put the end of life into effect January 14, 2020.

This month, the FBI issued a private industry notification warning that it had observed cybercriminals targeting outdated operating systems and recommending that companies update to the most recent versions in order to reduce risk.

"Continuing to use Windows 7 within an enterprise may provide cyber criminals access into computer systems. As time passes, Windows 7 becomes more vulnerable to exploitation due to lack of security updates and new vulnerabilities discovered," the FBI warning says. With fewer customers able to maintain a patched Windows 7 system after its end of life, cyber criminals will continue to view Windows 7 as a soft target, the agency adds.

The end of life ..

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