UK computers still on Windows XP exposed to hackers

British government computers running Windows XP are now exposed to hackers after officials chose not to renew a contract with Microsoft, which was still supporting the outdated operating system, The Guardian reported.

“Weaknesses that are found in unsupported products will remain unpatched and will be exploitable by relatively low-skilled attackers,” the Government Digital Service, which oversees the British government’s online services, told The Guardian.

{mosads}Microsoft last year ended its broader support program that patched vulnerabilities for all XP users.

But United Kingdom officials signed a £5.5 million contract with the company to get another year of support as it migrated away from the 14-year-old operating system. Agencies were instructed to use that year to migrate away from Windows XP.

Although many have made the transition, some are reportedly behind schedule, leaving thousands of computers exposed to hackers. Those agencies are expected to negotiate individual contracts with Microsoft for security protections.

According to The Guardian, U.K. officials got a £20 million discount by signing a government-wide deal. Individual deals may actually raise the potential overall cost of securing the network.

“We expect most remaining government devices using Windows XP will be able to mitigate any risks,” the Government Digital Service said. “Where this is not possible, they may need to review their own short-term transition support.”