Microsoft Delays XP Antivirus Doomsday

Microsoft announced Wednesday that even after it ceases support for its aging Windows XP operating system in April, it won't stop issuing new signatures and updates for its XP antivirus software engine until mid-2015. That represents an about-face by Microsoft, which previously said that as of April it would cease updating all of its XP-compatible security software, including the free Security Essentials.

Microsoft's Malware Protection Center, which announced the extension, pitched it as a way to help businesses and consumers move to a newer version of Windows. "To help organizations complete their migrations, Microsoft will continue to provide updates to our anti-malware signatures and engine for Windows XP users through July 14, 2015," Microsoft's malware protection team said in a blog post.

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