Microsoft has just issued a new warning for millions of Windows users, with “threat actors increasingly using [new] tactics aimed at circumventing defense mechanisms.” These attacks have escalated over the last six months, and the company has now issued a detailed set of recommendations.

As spotted by Neowin, Microsoft has quietly updated its official advice for unsupported versions of Windows, which currently includes Windows 8.1, Windows 7, Windows Vista and Windows XP. These ageing operating systems no longer receive security updates from Microsoft and are therefore susceptible to attacks from hackers seeking bugs and vulnerabilities in software to access your personal and sensitive data.

Windows 11 adoption has been way slower than Microsoft would like, no doubt, and part of the reason for that is that some PCs (particularly older models) can’t upgrade due to system requirements – and if you fall into that boat,

If you're currently using any version of Windows other than Windows 11, then your system is either already unsupported (Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8.1), or soon to become unsupported (Windows 10). And Microsoft's best advice for anyone in that situation is "move to Windows 11 by buying a new PC".