Ask Slashdot: Can You Use an Unsafe Computer Safely?

"I think the answer is no, but there are some clever people around here," writes long-time Slashdot reader shanen, "so... "Is there any firewall or router or some other device that can adequately protect an old and no longer supported computer?"I have at least two of those that come to mind, and I might use them more often if there was a safe way to connect them to the Internet. The specifics probably matter, though that's like opening a can of worms, but... One is a little old machine running an old and no longer supported version of Linux. Another is a Windows XP box that's too customized at a low level to run Linux. But the big concern involves a couple of old boxes that are only alive now because Windows 10 saved them from the end-of-service of Windows 7. Right now it looks like they might outlive Windows 10, too, but two of them are not suitable for Windows 11. Plus my spouse has an old Windows 8 box now running under 10... What happens when you combine missed security updates with internet connectivity? Share your best thoughts in the comments. Can you use an unsafe computer safely?

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