How is Manhattan College addressing this issue?
ITS began the process of contacting offices that process sensitive data earlier this year. Since that time, we have developed a plan for upgrading or replacing machines running Windows XP in these areas. Additionally, Faculty who received a laptop running Windows XP will be due for a replacement this summer and will receive a laptop running Windows 7.
Unlike other software issues that have been in the news lately, the end of support for Windows XP means that risk to the security of your PC increases over time (not necessarily immediately). Manhattan College plans to phase out support for Windows XP over the summer - mostly through attrition (i.e. replacing old computers with new ones since all existing Windows XP computers now exceed the standard life-cycle of 3-4 years).
What do I need to do?
ITS has already upgraded all public computers from Windows XP to Windows 7. We will continue to work with campus offices to identify Windows XP machines and develop a plan for upgrade or replacement. If you are using a College supplied computer that is running Windows XP, please contact Client Services to discuss a plan to keep your machine secure.
Students:
If you have a machine running Windows XP, you have a few options:
- Upgrade to Windows 8 - You can find information about upgrading your current computer to Windows 8 here: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/upgrade-to-windows-8
- Get a new computer - There have been many developments in the PC/laptop market since Windows XP stopped shipping with new computers. Besides purchasing a new Windows computer with the current version Windows 8, Apple computers have become more affordable and the introduction of Chromebooks.
- Turn that old Windows XP machine into a Linux computer - If your old computer is not able to run Windows 8, you may want to try Linux (a free operating system on which Chromebooks are based).