How can big software (ex: windows xp) that has been used by millions and secured against all kinds of attacks throughout the years still manage to be insecure once its support has ended?

Question

For example a product like windows xp, it has been tested and secured by professionals throughout the years and on top of that patched against all kinds of security holes that might have appeared during that period.

Hasn’t the number of people that try to find security holes in windows xp decreased over the years when it wasn’t the main operating system from Microsoft anymore and they still manage to find security holes that a bigger group couldn’t find and hence making the operating system not secure?

In: Technology

Answer 1

Generally speaking yes. Fewer people are targeting attacks at old systems. However, new bugs or exploits can be found in new systems and someone can say “hmmm, no one did this back then, I wonder if this would also work on that” and if that thing works in the older system then there you have a security issue.

Also, because many industrial facilities run on older systems there will be both hackers and security professionals who will try to break the older systems. Most of the time for opposite reasons, one to gain something from the system and the other to make sure their system can’t be messed with, but people still work with those systems.