Hackers Prey on

Windows XP
Vulnerabilities

rpeters@rftclouds.com

REACH FOR THE CLOUDS, INC.

12/8/2014

Hackers Prey on Windows XP

Vulnerabilities
Even though Microsoft discontinued their support for Windows XP around six months back,
an estimated 1 million users are still using this outdated OS. 44% of all businesses are still
using Windows XP in some capacity. The discontinued patch support for Windows XP is a
direct avenue for hackers to find and exploit vulnerabilities. Several attacks have been
launched by hackers exploiting the critical vulnerabilities in legacy versions of Internet
Explorer. Microsoft has admitted that there are security issues with IE 6 through 11. These
are drive-by attacks that the hackers use to hack browsers by tricking people into visiting
malicious websites. These attacks are so serious that the Department of Homeland Security
actually issued a warning (after the attacks) and advised people to not use those versions of
Internet Explorer until the bugs are fixed.
Even though Microsoft lived up to its reputation of being a consumer friendly company and
fixed the bugs in IE by offering patch support to computers running on Windows Vista and
Windows 7, it clearly mentioned that IE browsers on Windows XP would not receive any
patch support.
The drive-by vulnerability was the biggest bug affecting Windows XP post patch support
retirement and it's only a matter of time before the hackers are able to uncover more flaws
in IE and launch further attacks on Windows XP. The company claims that Microsoft XP is
66% more vulnerable compared to other platforms now that patch support is no longer
available.
This is serious news for business owners still using XP. An upgrade is no longer an option
it is an absolute necessity. However, with any OS upgrade comes a unique set of challenges.
First and foremost what happens to your companys existing data, files and documents?
Modernizing your environment can place the compatibility of your files at risk. Often
documents that play a daily role in your companys operations can lose functionality due to
incompatibilities with the latest versions of Microsoft Office. Any organization migrating
from legacy Microsoft Office products run the risk of documents not converting with the
same functionality it previously possessed, causing unwanted business interruption,
possibly bad data as well a strain on the IT department to restore the previous functionality
of the document.
1|Page

Your IT Department Needs The Right Tools:

The moment you upgrade from the legacy versions of Microsoft Office to the latest release,
you run the risk of losing the designed functionality of a document.
Let's face the facts - migration could be an arduous job, especially when working with large
amounts of files. If you want your IT department to be able to accurately identify and screen
the vulnerable files, you have to give them the tools necessary for the job. There is always
room for human error and that could mean some problematic files getting overlooked and
left behind during an investigation, especially when there are a lot of files to sift through. This
could mean unwanted business interruptions, a strain on your IT department and could
impact your bottom line.
Wouldn't it be great to be able modernize your systems without the associated risks to file
functionality, loss of productivity and additional strain on your IT department?
Here is the cost-effective solution:
The cloud-based application design company, Reach for the Clouds, Inc., has good news for
you. The company specializes in designing applications to simplify and secure the legacy
Microsoft upgrade process. Below are the three components to the RFTC Toolset your
company needs to utilize in order to mitigate the risks of losing file functionality after
converting to the latest version of Microsoft Office from legacy Microsoft Office software:
1.
RFTC O365 Detective: RFTC O365 Detective is a light piece of software that will scan
your desktops, servers or file shares looking for known problematic files. The RFTC O365
Detective is truly a detective within the toolset as it identifies not only where the files are,
but how many files could be problematic. RFTC O365 Detective was designed specifically to
identify files that are known to have issues when converting from the Microsoft Office legacy
suites to Office 2007, 2010 and 2013. The RFTC O365 Detective can determine the files
containing VB code, charts, passwords, links and Active X components. These are usually the
ingredients that spell trouble during migration. RFTC O365 Detective will identify all files
that have these elements thus defining the scope of the project you have before you.
With RFTC O365 Detective installed you can better define the scope and landscape of your
upgrade project. Arming your team with this data prior to attempting the upgrade will
reduce the loss of productivity due to broken files and the stress caused to an already
inundated IT staff.
2|Page

The user interface on RFTC O365 Detective is super intuitive, easy to use and reflects the
commitment of RFTC to achieve ultimate customer satisfaction. If you want, RFTC O365
Detective will export the results to Excel too!
2.
RFTC FileReporter: The RFTC FileReporter is a full scale reporting component of the
RFTC Toolset. The RFTC O365 Detective outputs its finding into XML files and the RFTC
FileReporter takes those XML files and allows the end user to report on the data collected.
These reports provide managers with precise information to make informed decisions for
Microsoft Office upgrade planning and execution. The reporting component of the toolset
proves to be very helpful as it answers a lot of tough questions for project managers. How
many Microsoft Office files and other files exist on the network? Where are the files stored?
Should all files be converted or be shown as a subset?
RFTC FileReporter helps the project manager make vital decisions about their upgrade/
migration project.
3.
RFTC OfficeMigrator: The RFTC OfficeMigrator is a key component of the RFTC
Toolset. Now that you have taken the time to identify the scope of the project, you can make
an informed decision on how to utilize the RFTC OfficeMigrator. The RFTC OfficeMigrator
is the part of the toolset that can attempt to automatically convert files that are known to
have issues when using the typical method of converting Microsoft files. As mentioned
previously, the files containing VB code, charts, passwords, links and Active X components
are the typical files that have issues when migrating off of the legacy Office products. The
RFTC OfficeMigrator can perform bulk conversions of these files, saving countless man hours
and taking the guess work out of the Office migration. Often a company will take the
break/fix approach during the migration process. This can often derail even the smallest of
projects. Fixing files often falls upon an already inundated IT staff or the end user, causing
a drop in productivity and wasted man hours. The RFTC OfficeMigrator will report all the
files that were successfully converted, as well as the files that will require further attention.
Time to get down from the fence and embrace RFTC Solutions:
If you are still using XP and utilizing legacy Microsoft Office software, an upgrade is
inevitable. Performing an upgrade should not cost you the functionality of your existing files.
Understanding the landscape of your environment and scope of your project are first and
foremost when attempting an Office migration. Protecting the past efforts that was put into
creating files is a tough job during a migration because you have to first know which files are
going to end up being problematic.
3|Page

The RFTC Toolset can assist with defining the landscape, as well as perform bulk conversions
with full reporting features. Reach for the Clouds, Inc. has the solution for any organization
that has been reluctant to upgrade from the legacy versions of Microsoft Office. The RFTC
Toolset takes the guess work out of the Office migration thus saving countless man hours,
preventing loss of productivity with your workforce and freeing up IT staff to focus on more
pressing issues.

4|Page