Windows XP is still running on millions of computers across the world despite the fact that it reached end of support of April 8, but Chinese authorities are looking into ways to protect local machines with the help of domestic security vendors.

Windows 8 is still considered a very expensive platform, a government representative was quoted as saying by Xinhua, so protecting Windows XP computers is the only option right now.

“Security problems could arise because of a lack of technical support after Microsoft stopped providing services, making computers with XP vulnerable to hackers,” Yan Xiaohong, National Copyright Administration deputy director, explained.

“Windows 8 is fairly expensive and will increase government procurement costs. The government is conducting appraisal of related security products and will promote use of such products to safeguard users' information security.”

According to the same report, Windows 8 is sold for $142 (€103) in China, but moving from Windows XP to this modern version of Windows also involves hardware upgrades which the country cannot afford right now.

Worldwide, Windows XP is still installed on 28 percent of desktop computers, third-party analytics firms claim, but Redmond expects the market share to drop significantly in the coming months as more users and companies across the world complete the transition to a newer operating system.