14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft will officially stop providing patches and security updates for Windows XP on April 8, 2014, so all users are now recommended to make the move to a newer OS as soon as possible.
The Japanese government has apparently heard of Microsoft’s plans, so it indeed wishes to deploy a newer platform, but the high costs of the transition might actually keep Windows XP on a handful of computers.
A report by RocketNews24 indicates that some prefectural governments have even found a solution to stick to Windows XP and keep data on the safe side.
It appears that authorities in Aichi, Ichinomiya City and Toyohashi City have worked out a plan to remove Internet cables from Windows XP computers and even tape up the Ethernet ports to make sure that workers won’t plug back the cables.
As stupid and weird as it may sound, this solution might actually be pretty effective, especially because Microsoft warns that the main risk is that hackers could attempt to exploit unpatched systems over the Internet.
And a statement issued by an official of Nagoya City pretty much says it all. “Why should we have to replace our computers at the convenience of the software manufacturer?”