Windows 7

Windows 7 has around the 100+ million users worldwide and is praised for it’s stability and outstanding performance.
The Aero theme is loved by many with its glass look and sleek animation. Windows 7 is more privacy friendly and lightweight as it comes without built-in ads, bloatware and constant data collection like Windows 8, 10 and 11.

Security risk

Windows 7 was less invasive and annoying compared to modern Windows-versions, as it didn’t have built-in ads, bloatware, constant data collection (telemetry), or frequent updates like Windows 10 and 11.

If you have an processor with TPM 2.0 we would recommend Windows 10 or 11 because of Secure Boot and Core Isolation.

Windows 7 is end-of-life and security updates are discontinued since January 14th, 2020.

Windows 7 Extended Security Updates (ESU) are discontinued since January 10th, 2023.

Today vulnerabilities will remain unpatched since Microsoft doesn’t release updates, patches or fixes anymore 🙁

Cybercriminals implement these unpatched vulnerabilities in ad-scripts and well known sites load those ad-scripts without even knowing it has malicious code in it. This way they spread ransomware, malware, spyware or virusses: to infect your PC and add it to their botnet or to steal financial information. Even when visiting a site without clicking or downloading anything they could inject the ad-scripts with their malicious code (zero-click exploit) and you could get infected without clicking or downloading anything.

– If you are planning to go online with Windows 7 –
1. Install Extended Security Updates (ESU) (this will cost actually $$$)
2. Download a more safe and up-to-date browser like: Firefox 115 Extended Support Release
/// Internet Explorer, Edge and Chrome are a security risk on Windows 7 because you can’t update them
3. Run the webbrowser (Firefox) in a sandbox if you want to browse the web with Win7 Sandboxie
4. Disable UPnP in Windows 7 – this way you have less chance to get infected by another device in your network
5. Create a second user-account and only use this one when you go online (without admin rights)
by not giving it the full admin rights it can’t install anything or doesn’t have acces to powershell or cmd (virusses also cannot)
6. Download and install: Microsoft Security Essentials and update -> if you get an error turn off the firewall
now it will have the same anti-virus definitions as Windows Defender in Win10 and 11.