Oh by the way the NSA is also changing a couple routers over there at Microsoft data centers.

extrait : "Google en panne ? L’événement n’est pas banal. Il est même qualifié de « rarissime » par le site spécialisé Numerama. Pourtant, pendant quelques minutes, le célèbre moteur de recherche et tous les autres services du groupe étaient inaccessibles. La panne aurait eu lieu de 1h37 à 1h48 du matin, heure française (19h37 à New-York, par exemple)."

NSA making changes did not go as unnoticed as planned. Perhaps this is how Google let the world know what is really going on, by letting those with a brain understand.

Given that many of the breaches appear in Internet Explorer and third-party Microsoft software, you are probably safe to run Windows XP, even without an anti-virus or firewall (as I do), by doing just that, run Windows XP and avoid using Internet Explorer and third-party Microsoft software. I believe the core XP OS is pretty safe at this point and is able to last a good decade more without sounding dated.

How could it be dated by the way when you know that even Microsoft is betting their money on mobile operating systems ? Even Windows 8 is terribly dated compared to modern mobile OSes.

Microsoft is warning us :

extrait : "There is a sense of urgency because after April 8, Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) customers will no longer receive new security updates, non-security hotfixes, free or paid assisted support options or online technical content updates. (...)"

Translation : Microsoft, beginning in April 2014, will start messing with you by sponsoring malwares of all kinds, specifically targeting Windows XP, so you end up scared and eventually purchase a new computer (most of us running Windows XP cannot install a newer operating system on the same hardware given the much higher requirements of Windows 7, let alone Windows 8).

So basically, this is the Microsoft mafia, not hackers out there, getting ready to knock your door.