The company once again recommends users to move to a new OS

Oct 30, 2013 14:41 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft keeps fighting to convince users to move from Windows XP to 8 or 8.1, this time with new statistics supposed to emphasize that its old OS version is prone to malware infection.

According to Microsoft’s own data, Windows XP’s infection rate is six times higher than Windows 8’s, which makes the modern platform a much better choice for all users.

At the same time, Windows Vista is 1.5 times more unlikely to be infected with malware than Windows XP, while in Windows 7’s case, the probability is increased to 3 points.

“Microsoft Windows XP was released almost 12 years ago, which is an eternity in technology terms,” said Microsoft's head of trustworthy computing, Tim Rains.

"While we are proud of Windows XP's success in serving the needs of so many people for more than a decade, inevitably there is a tipping point where dated software and hardware can no longer defend against modern day threats and increasingly sophisticated cybercriminals.”