On October 7, the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) issued a joint statement alerting financial institutions that the discontinuation of support (also known as “end of life”) for the Microsoft Windows XP operating system (XP) could present operational risks to financial institutions, technology service providers (TSPs), and to activities supported by other third parties. 

Effective April 8, 2014, Microsoft will no longer market, support or provide regular security patches for XP. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), for its part, “expects national banks, federal savings associations, and their TSPs to identify, assess, and manage these risks to ensure that safety, soundness, and the ability to deliver products and services are not compromised.” 

Questions regarding the FFIEC statement should be directed to the OCC’s Bank Information Technology Division at +1.202.649.6340. 

The joint statement is available here.