Windows users need to be cautious about a vulnerability in some of the versions of the OS. The National Security Agency too, has identified the versions at risk to Bluekeep, which is the name given to this vulnerability. Experts are reminding that WannaCry, a malware that affected millions of computers all around the world in 2007, was not very different in terms of the damage Bluekeep could inflict.

The Windows versions that could cause you the trouble are Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows 2003, Windows 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2.

Interestingly, Microsoft is fully aware of the threat Bluekeep poses and has confirmed that this vulnerability is actually a worm and can spread very quickly. The extent of damage that can be caused by this vulnerability is quite vast and computer users should immediately update their systems to a better version of Windows. The warning from NSA is to change the OS and get rid of the vulnerable version ASAP. If your computer is running on any of these Windows versions listed above, you must not even hesitate changing it.

It is learnt that there is a patch issued by Microsoft that can take care of the Bluekeep vulnerability. However, reports indicate that despite this, the number of systems still under threat may run into millions. The vulnerability lends itself to being exploited by hackers. The NSA advisory says there could be ransomware attacks and that will prove to be an expensive affair for the user. Besides ransomware attacks, there could be denial of service (DDoS) attacks as well.

NSA virtually pleads with computer users to spare a few moments; check which version of the operating system their computer is working on and switch to one of the safer ones. It is also essential for users to get the latest update patches for the OS and install them to stay protected. NSA says Windows 10 is the safest, but the final choice may be left to the users.

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