MrZorg58 t1_iuby0n9 wrote on October 30, 2022 at 3:52 AM

The US military still uses windows XP, and pays Microsoft for updates, ONLY they get.

drekmonger t1_iuc61bp wrote on October 30, 2022 at 5:19 AM

Up until 2019 US military still had 8 inch floppy disks as an integral part of running nuclear silos. The software and hardware is still mostly stuff from out of the 70s.

>https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/24/us/nuclear-weapons-floppy-disks.html

Iceykitsune2 t1_iueoa3x wrote on October 30, 2022 at 7:26 PM

And the only reason they changed was inability to find a supplier.

LookingForEnergy t1_iubz7ea wrote on October 30, 2022 at 4:04 AM

As time goes on and less people use XP, would that make it more secure?

googonite t1_iuc1kui wrote on October 30, 2022 at 4:29 AM

security through ~~obscurity~~ antiquity

BubblyKombucha t1_iuc3rhn wrote on October 30, 2022 at 4:52 AM

Eventually compilers for popular programming languages drop any support for Windows XP so new malware can't even be built that would run on it, unless the malware developers themselves ran 10-year-old obsolete versions of compilers... but then the program libraries they might depend on have also moved on and don't work w/ such an old compiler. On a long enough time scale, Windows XP could be safe from new threats arising. ;)

prophetofthepimps t1_iuc4kf2 wrote on October 30, 2022 at 5:01 AM

Not safe from State Actors though. Only non-state actors won't bother.

141_1337 t1_iuc5znq wrote on October 30, 2022 at 5:18 AM

I'm guessing because state actors would have the resources to find such antique software?

SylveonVMAX t1_iucdv9p wrote on October 30, 2022 at 7:01 AM

or just write a compiler themselves

Guac_in_my_rarri t1_iuc5s48 wrote on October 30, 2022 at 5:15 AM

Wait till you hear about the tax software the IRS uses....

Andrethegreengiant3 t1_iuc8i5g wrote on October 30, 2022 at 5:49 AM

Software? You mean stone tablets?

[deleted] t1_iueihcc wrote on October 30, 2022 at 6:48 PM

[deleted]

SkyNetIsNow t1_iudgpf0 wrote on October 30, 2022 at 2:30 PM

They literally have employees typing data from paper forms into the computer for the paper tax documents they receive. Which is why they want people to file electronically. They are just exploring OCR options with no clean plans about if or when to use it in the future.

Alternative_Dish740 t1_iuccw7j wrote on October 30, 2022 at 6:47 AM

Literally how my old Win 3.11 machine is safe when I dial up one of the few remaining BBS's for nostalgia. 32/64 bit programs cant run on it and so neither can any viruses.

dkran t1_iudq5ae wrote on October 30, 2022 at 3:38 PM

Hmm… I wonder how many windows 3.11 computers are still out there; maybe it’s worth writing one! I miss that clunky ms-dos overlay.

[deleted] t1_iuc08ro wrote on October 30, 2022 at 4:15 AM

[removed]

Guac_in_my_rarri t1_iuc5r8e wrote on October 30, 2022 at 5:15 AM

McDonald's used to do this. Now they don't get updates.

Bleusilences t1_iuc5uxg wrote on October 30, 2022 at 5:16 AM

Yeah, but for once, I kind of understand if the computer is running special software. It's ok as long as it doesn't connect to a network.

MrZorg58 t1_iucbrid wrote on October 30, 2022 at 6:32 AM

hahahhaha, you don't know about airgap hacking LOL.

Alternative_Dish740 t1_iuccsvo wrote on October 30, 2022 at 6:46 AM

That is extremely rare compared to connected threats.

Helpful_Put_5274 t1_iuc1u3d wrote on October 30, 2022 at 4:32 AM

I was working for a company that was still using Windows 3.11 for testing, when I retired 3 year's ago.

Internet Explorer 11 has retired and is officially out of support

a_Tin_of_Spam t1_iubxkt2 wrote on October 30, 2022 at 3:48 AM