As of January 14, 2020, Microsoft will no longer provide security updates or support for PCs running Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008.
This means that computers running on Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 will be more vulnerable to security risks and viruses. To avoid these risks, Microsoft recommends upgrading to Windows 10. We talk about the importance of Windows updates and recommend tips on how to keep your data protected in our Security From Inside Out blog post.
To safeguard your clients and your own data, we strongly recommend that customers using Windows 7 upgrade and Windows Server 2008 to Windows 10 and Windows 10 Pro, respectively – especially since you are handling sensitive patient electronic medical records, insurance claims, and group benefits information.
So why is having one of the latest supported versions of Windows so important? Windows updates include fixes for discovered errors and security issues or threats that could lead to potential vulnerability for system damage and compromising of data. With the help of updates new system features are introduced too.
How do I know if my computer is Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008?
Microsoft has instructions to help you find out which version of Windows you are running, which you can check out here.
If your computer is already running Windows 10, then no further action is required.
Updating your operating system to Windows 10
To learn more on how to upgrade to Windows 10 check our blog post Upgrading to Windows 10: Get It Right The First Time. For on the risks of remaining on Windows 7, check out this recent post from CNET.com.
Before updating your software – backup, backup, and again, backup:
- Backup Universal Office by running a manual backup. For instructions, check out How to Backup Universal Office Data.
- Make a copy of your database onto an external drive or on the cloud – iDrive. To learn more, check out New Backup Features Available Now in Universal Office.
- Contact us to ensure that you have successfully backed up your Universal Office database and uploaded documents to an external drive.
- We can not stress how important the above steps are – you can risk losing all of your patient data, and we do not store or host any of your data!
We could all agree that running software updates isn’t the most pleasant experience. However, updates play a critical role in keeping the computer environment – and your data – safe.
