Google Updating Chrome For Windows XP Until 2015

Google says it will continue offering security fixes for people running the Chrome browser on Windows XP until April 2015. That's a year after Microsoft's termination date for the aging operating system (OS).

For its part, Microsoft has warned users not to rely on the Chrome protection and says that even with Google's efforts, users of Windows XP will still face a serious risk of malicious software infection.

After launching Windows XP in 2001, Microsoft stopped selling the operating system in 2008. The firm no longer offers Windows XP users technical support, but it has continued to offer security updates. That, however, will end in a few months.

So, why continue offering security updates for such an old OS?

With so many people still using XP, Microsoft worried that killing security fixes would simply help hackers target hundreds of millions of vulnerable users.

Security Updates Stop This April

However, the fact that Windows XP was still receiving security fixes deterred some users, particularly businesses, from upgrading to Windows 7 or Windows 8. As a result, Microsoft has confirmed that it will cut all support in April 2014.

Now, Google says it believes many users are having trouble moving to later editions of Windows because they rely on XP-only software applications.

The Internet firm notes that the web browser is one of the main ways malicious software gets onto machines.

Unpatched flaws in older editions of browsers will be an obvious target for malware creators looking for a way to access computers and exploit the security loopholes that will be discovered in XP after Microsoft ends support.

Google to Offer Browser-Only Protection Until 2015

As a result, Google says it will continue patching Chrome for Windows XP users until at least April 2015. It also unveiled a tool that will allow businesses to let staff carry on using other browsers with which they are more familiar, but route the data through Chrome for added protection. (Source: blogspot.co.uk)

Experts believe Google is hoping businesses stuck on Windows XP will give the Chrome browser a try.

Microsoft has warned that even if users take advantage of the Chrome support, Windows XP will remain unprotected.

That leaves a serious risk of computers becoming defenseless against threats that don't come through a web browser; for example, those that are spread through email attachments or USB drives. (Source: theregister.co.uk)