He notes that accessing the Internet from Windows XP is like entering a forest full of traps and predators 24 Channels. One might assume that careful web browsing would reduce risk, but Parker showed that simply being online is enough to attract attackers’ attention.

Hackers equipped with modern gadgets are actively searching for vulnerable systems on the Internet, and an unprotected Windows XP computer is easy prey.

Danger at every step

In his YouTube video, Parker demonstrates how the Windows XP environment quickly becomes corrupted after a link. Despite minimal interaction with the Internet, the virtual machine showed clear signs of danger within minutes.

Disabling the firewall speeds up the infiltration process, Parker said. However, even with legacy security measures enabled, the system is likely to be vulnerable to modern hacking methods, given the decade-long gap between updates and patches.

Parker investigated malicious processes that had taken root and infiltrated the system. Among them was a virus that masqueraded as a legitimate Microsoft file, demonstrating the deceptive strategies used by modern malware.

To measure the damage, Parker detected eight different viruses by scanning with a modern anti-virus solution. These threats infiltrated the system only through an Internet connection.

Eric Parker’s experiment is another reminder of the relentless evolution of cyber threats. As technology advances, the sophistication of malicious attacks also increases. Connecting an old system like Windows XP to the modern Internet is not only risky, it is almost guaranteed to result in infection.