WinXP scores one!

I read this in the news today:

the vulnerability — known as a “zero-day” — [is a] flaw present in every Windows operating system from Vista to 8.1, he said, except for Windows XP, which is not affected.

is this true?

Just based on the size of the operating system, I'd be there are a lot of exploits that don't work on older versions, but that applies going the other direction too.

Quick, everyone on 3.1!

Yeah, that sounds like a new story and they are wrong. There were Zero-day vulnerabilities in XP, they are not a new thing, and I hate when the news sensationalizes things like this.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero-day_attack

You can install good freeware firewalls like Comodo Firewall on Windows XP.
You can install good freeware antivirus software like Avira Antivir on Windows XP.
You can, in that way be protected while still using Windows XP....

...but let's not get ahead of ourselves here on what the overall security "score" here is, all things being equal, post Windows XP OS, from Vista to Windows 10, are more secure.
Having said, that there was no need for grandma and a lot of people to update Windows XP from the end of 2006 when Vista was completed until 2014. I mean that's 8 years of unnecessary need to do that and really, it is regrettable that so many people pushed others to abandon Windows XP, falsely claiming that Windows XP "support" had ended, when really, there still is no need because Windows XP updates are available for another five years: http://www.overclockers.com/forums/...try-hack-for-a-five-year-extension-until-2019

I know no one I help with computer-related issues who has any reason whatsoever to pay to upgrade their Windows XP OS...

If they want to play the newest games they need a system newer than XP.

Correct, but what percentage of grandparents play games? Most I know email and web browse and say things like "Why is Billy on the machine?" -- making it necessary for us to then say "we talked about Skype yesterday, Grandpa."

c627627 said:

Correct, but what percentage of grandparents play games? Most I know email and web browse and say things like "Why is Billy on the machine?" -- making it necessary for us to then say "we talked about Skype yesterday, Grandpa."

Click to expand...

Very valid point. Although it was my grandfather who intintroduced me to starcraft! He is also a flight simulator person. I sometimes forforget that other people's grandparents are not so tech savy

Zero-day exploits have existed in all operating systems at one point or another. The infection varies from one OS to another, different programs or different system files can be infected.

I had a few zero-day exploits in my old XP computers.