Mumbai, Mar 20 (KNN) Weeks after Britain’s top banks spent millions to secure their outdated software, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has asked all the domestic banks to take steps to protect systems and ATMs working on Windows XP from attacks before Microsoft ends its Windows XP software support from April-8.

In a circular issued to all bank chiefs, RBI said, "It is learnt that Microsoft will stop issuing updates and patches for bugs in its Windows XP operating system (released in 2001) from April 8, 2014.

“The probability of attacks on such a system may increase and it may be difficult to defend such attacks in the absence of Microsoft support".

The central bank said that as some of the systems, including ATMs, may still be working on Windows XP, banks are advised to take immediate steps to implement appropriate systems and controls in this regard.

The US software giant will stop issuing updates and patches for bugs in its Windows XP operating system from April 8, 2014. In India, large numbers of banks and financial institutions run Windows XP on most of their computers. Thus, they face the largest risk. (KNN/SD)