GCHQ says no internet banking on Windows 7 computers after January 14

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) said that devices still using the operating system after next week will become increasingly vulnerable to cyber-attacks as the tech giant stops patching weaknesses in its product, according to BBC. Among the risks users run are having their computers infected with malware, which can steal sensitive details such as financial and banking information from their device.

In 2019, Microsoft announced that it would be ceasing technical support for Windows 7 and urged users to upgrade to its Windows 10 system, which costs GBP 120. It is estimated that there are still more than 440 million people using Windows 7 worldwide, which was first released in 2009.

Microsoft said it will be providing security support for three more years to businesses using Windows 7 and for customers who are willing to pay for an upgraded package of updates. Still, the company itself warned users they would be at greater risk of hacking malware if they continued to use Windows 7 after January 2020.