April 8, 2014.

That’s the date when Windows XP will stop being supported by Microsoft.

For those who don’t understand what this means, if an exploit is found after this date, it will not be patched – you system will continue to become less secure the more you use this operating system after that date.

Unfortunately, this process of being less insecure might not be all that gradual either.

Most malware authors often target users who run outdated programs. And if you are using an outdated operating system, that makes you more of a target than a person who uses an outdated PDF Reader.

And come April next year, there will hardly be a more tempting target than those who use Windows XP.

Of course, there’s also a possibility where malware authors might only create malware keeping outdated programs or operating systems in mind.

But with the possibility of them doing this, what steps does one take in order to prevent such an intrusion?

First, you can buy a new PC where you will use updated software, and which will keep you safe from malware. But the downside is that this will be an expensive option compared to the others that will be discussed next.

Or if you don’t want to spend that much money, you can choose to upgrade from Windows XP to either Windows 7 or 8. Another inexpensive option would be to try Linux in the form of the numerous versions that are available just by a simple download of an ISO file.

And if you are worried about not being able to use Windows applications, you can try WINE which allows you to do so, when you use a flavor of the Linux operating systems that are out there.