What would happen if you used Windows XP today?

Have you ever found yourself missing using an old operating system? Maybe the nostalgic Windows XP, which marked an era for many people. If you’re over 30, you’ve probably used Windows XP as your main system for a long time.

Well, YouTuber Eric Parker got carried away by nostalgia and decided to install Windows XP on a virtual machine. He set out to check how vulnerable a machine running the iconic Windows XP would be. To do this, he carefully configured a virtual machine, creating an isolated environment, and connected it to the internet.

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The result was astonishing, but not surprising for anyone who is aware of the risks: viruses began to be installed on the system without the need for any interaction on Parker’s part, such as opening pages in web browsers. The malware contamination occurred despite Internet Explorer, the standard browser at that time, no longer working due to its obsolescence.

Just connecting to the internet is enough to be infected

Microsoft ended support for Windows XP a long time ago. Originally, this support was discontinued in 2009, but, responding to requests and recognizing the difficulty of many users in migrating to newer platforms, the company extended support until April 2014. In other words, it has been more than 10 years since Windows XP does not receive any type of update. This leaves the operating system exposed to all types of known and unknown vulnerabilities.

For testing purposes, it is important to know that Parker turned off the Windows XP firewall on purpose. He did this to show all possible risk. Even with the firewall turned on, the results might not change much. This is because the firewall is already old and does not work well against new dangers.

Throughout the video, Parker demonstrates how easy it is to compromise a computer just by connecting Windows XP to the global network. A short period of just 15 minutes was enough for, without even browsing the internet, to be infected by several different malware.

While taking a look at the task manager, Parker came across unknown and potentially malicious programs running in the background. One of the malware even created a second user.

8 viruses in 15 minutes

A funny point in the video occurred when a malware with a peculiar name, oka.job, which pretended to have some association with the Google, abruptly terminated Mozilla Firefox while Parker was researching this particular intruder. This brazen action highlights the level of control that malicious software can exert over an unprotected system.

Those responsible for these infections typically use automated programs that scour the internet in search of vulnerable devices, with operating systems that are outdated or obsolete, such as Windows XP.

After running the Malware Bytes antivirus, version for XP, Parker found nothing less than eight distinct malware. But that was just the tip of the iceberg, as it’s quite possible that other malware was still hiding on the system, especially considering that the antivirus program itself hasn’t been updated in several years either.

In other words, friends, using an operating system (or any other software) that is out of date or without the latest updates installed is asking to be invaded by hackers. That’s why it’s crucial to keep your operating system and other programs up to date. If possible, also have a good antivirus and a firewall activated.

Source: XDA Developers