Laos may be vulnerable after Microsoft’s decision to cease support for its Windows 7 operating system, with the latest figures showing more than 35 percent of desktop users in the country continue to use the system.
Microsoft announced it will no longer provide security updates or support for PCs with Windows 7 after January 14, 2020.
PCs will still remain functional under the old version, but it may become more vulnerable to security risks.
The news is alarming for Laos, where the outdated operating system is the second most used system.
According to web traffic analysis website StatCounter, among desktop users in Laos who have access to the Internet, 65.55 percent of users were using the Microsoft Windows operating system in 2019.
By version, 49.49 percent of users were using Windows 10, while 35.68 percent of users were using Windows 7.
Users for Windows 8.1 and 8 accounted for 8.11 and 3.85 percent, respectively.
Although the number does not include those who do not have access to the Internet, the number is significant enough to see the majority of desktop users in the country are vulnerable to security risks after Microsoft ends its support for Windows 7.
The American tech giant recommended users to install Windows 10 as a replacement, although it does not provide a free upgrade, which means users should purchase the new version.
However, users with a legitimately licensed copy of Windows 7 will be able to switch to Windows 10 for free by activating a digital license when installing the new version.
Internet penetration in Laos is estimated at over 2 million people.
