READ: End of NT 4 support good news for hackers

**TechZ** · November 21st, 2004, 02:09 AM

Microsoft's move to stop supporting Windows NT Server 4.0 at the end of 2004 will create a migration nightmare that will leave the two million servers that still rely on the operating system open to increased risk from hackers, it has been claimed today. According to US network asset management software firm Boss, thousands of firms running the platform have not yet planned to adopt an upgraded Microsoft product or one offered by another vendor. The company warned that these companies will find themselves running "without a net".

Maha Mahadevan, president and chief executive of Boss, said: "Your enterprise will become more vulnerable to hackers. Your network availability will be subject to inordinate downtime. Your users will lose productivity.

"New software applications, such as accounting, back-up, firewall, mail server or antivirus protection, may not be backwards compatible with NT Server.

"And even when you buy replacement hardware there may not be drivers available to make the components work on your network."

News source: vnunet.com

**gazzak** · November 21st, 2004, 04:39 AM

Sometimes Microsoft just don't do themselves any favours. If they know there are over 2 million servers running NT4 then SUPPORT THEM!

It really is about time there was an alternative to their monopoly!

**TechZ** · November 22nd, 2004, 02:30 AM

They could make the support for the next year pay since theyre probably wanting everyone to move to MS Win Server 2K3

**confus-ed** · November 22nd, 2004, 06:36 AM

Originally Posted by gazzak

Sometimes Microsoft just don't do themselves any favours. If they know there are over 2 million servers running NT4 then SUPPORT THEM!

It really is about time there was an alternative to their monopoly!

There is its called linux

I have a feeling this one will be like with 98, where they had about 6 goes at announcing its 'demise' .. they just don't know who's still using what, so they announce stuff & wait for the flak

.. too much again (they've done this twice already

) & we'll be seeing a re-think .. again !

I also wouldn't be surprised if all this were deliberately overstated to push sales of newer products on ! Not at all surprised

- especially as I happen to be involved in this indirectly UK users wait on further NT4 support

**CeeBee** · November 22nd, 2004, 08:23 AM

It starts with the infrastructure design. As long as a hacker cannot access the server from outside in any way the server is half protected. Then you protect it from threats originating from the inside network.
Linux is not always an alternative in a corporate environment. There are applications that require Windows (starting from a simple HASP driver- none that we use has support for Linux).
On the other side firewalls that run on NT still exist and they work as well as in the day of their release, install one and configure it properly with address and port ranges and you have a bulletproof NT4 server.
Let's not forget that most threats come from online activities and spyware/adware, and this is what a server is *NOT* meant for.