A considerable number of people still run Windows XP or Windows Vista, obliging Mozilla to support the ancient operating systems with security updates to its popular Firefox web browser. That, Mozilla has announced, is coming to an end.
Google hung up its gloves in 2016, deciding that the plethora of exploitable security flaws in old versions of Windows were not worth the development costs of separate versions of its own browser, Chrome.
Mozilla has been more permissive with its user base. Late last year, the Mountain View, California-based software company informed users that it will support Firefox for Windows XP and Vista until at least September 2017.
Now, Mozilla is giving the Firefox fan base one last extension, warning it will cut off all life support to Firefox for Windows XP and Vista come June 2018.
“Today we are announcing June 2018 as the final end of life date for Firefox support on Windows XP and Vista,” reads the post on Mozilla’s blog. “As one of the few browsers that continues to support Windows XP and Vista, Firefox users on these platforms can expect security updates until that date.”
“Users do not need to take additional action to receive those updates,” Mozilla said, directing those eager to learn more about the discontinuation to the Firefox support page.
Always a voice of reason, Mozilla goes on to encourage users to upgrade their Windows OS to a version supported by Microsoft with security updates.
“Unsupported operating systems receive no security updates, have known exploits, and are dangerous for you to use,” Mozilla warns.
Old installments of Windows are what caused the widely covered WannaCry ransomware contagion — all it took was a few unpatched Windows computers to bring down hundreds of server networks worldwide, causing damages in the millions of dollars to those affected.
Users of any operating system are strongly encouraged to leave behind versions no longer supported by their vendors. For example, Mac users have OS X v10.8 (Mountain Lion) as the last version of the Mac operating system still supported by Apple with security updates.
For Windows users, the last version supported by Microsoft with security updates is Windows 7. At the very least, you should be on these OS versions and not lower.
