Around 98 percent of infected systems were running Windows 7
Specifically, more than 60 percent of the computers that were compromised by WannaCry were running the 64-bit versions of Windows 7, while the 32-bit flavor of the operating system was the runner-up with nearly 32 percent.
Ironically, Windows 7 was supposed to be secure against WannaCry, as Microsoft shipped patches to block the infection in March this year, and since it’s still supported, this OS version received them as well.
One the other hand, seeing Windows 7 the most affected desktop operating system in the WannaCry saga kind of makes sense given that it’s currently the world’s top PC platform with a share that’s close to 50 percent. This means that nearly 1 in 2 desktop systems out there are running Windows 7, and this explains why so many computers ended up infected with the ransomware.
At the same time, Windows 7 is also suffering from a high piracy rate, with many systems out there, especially in countries like China and Russia, still running copies of the operating system that are not genuine.
Even though cracking methods have improved, there are releases that cannot be updated every month, with users blocking updates to prevent their copy of the operating system from performing a check for genuine product keys.
Windows 7 will continue to be supported until January 2020, so systems running it will still get updates for nearly 3 more years. To remain secure against attacks like WannaCry, however, it’s essential for users to install the latest patches as soon as possible, but also to start plan the migration to a newer Windows version in order to remain protected when end-of-life is reached as well.
