Who is holding us to Ransom?

After last week's Cyber attack on It systems around the world people are asking who are these people that do this? Obviously criminals that are only interested in scamming people out of their money. However, another important question is why did this happen?

PC's have to use an operating system. typically like Windows. This product has a number of versions like XP, Windows 7 and now Windows 10. So every few years they bring new ones out. OK no problem with that. These have new features and more security. These cost 00's of pounds for each one so if you are like the NHS then it would cost millions to update every few years.

The issue it seems is the computers that crashed where running things like XP is that just like all other operating systems Microsoft run updates and support these products But a few years ago Microsoft stopped supporting Microsoft XP. The NHS paid millions for a one year extension. Then Microsoft would expect them to pay millions of pounds for organisations like the NHS to pay for new operating systems.

Why should this be? Yes business should be free to operate in a commercial environment but IT and computers are now part of our infrastructure , just like utilities. So when they stop a product they should not be allowed to just stop supporting these products and holding people and companies to ransom to buy their new software. There should be a law that says if Microsoft, or other such companies on these platform, stop making their products they have to support them for a number of yrs, like 35 yrs. That way they simply cannot hold us to ransom!