The IT Nerd

I get this question a lot. Why do one have to bother to install those security updates that are always popping up on my PC or Mac? The answer is simple. Those security updates help to keep you safe and fix bugs in whatever operating system you use. Sometimes they even provide performance enhancements. Let me circle back to the first point. Hackers are always testing to see if they can find ways to compromise your computer. Microsoft, Apple, Red Hat, and everybody who puts out an operating system are trying to stay one step ahead of the hackers. Thus they release updates. Thus it’s in your interest to update your OS as soon as these patches come out.

While I’m at it, let me explain a phrase that you might of heard of: “Patch Tuesday.” It’s the second Tuesday of every month that Microsoft chooses to release patches to the world. The reason why they do it on a schedule is that major corporations wanted some degree of predictability when it came to when patches are released. This is followed by “Exploit Wednesday” which is when exploits that are reverse engineered by hackers based on patches that have just been released. Another thing that happens on “Exploit Wednesday” is that net new exploits are often released which give hackers an advantage of at least a month before a patch is released.

Bottom line: Make sure you apply those patches as soon as they come out. You are better off if you do.

This entry was posted on May 22, 2012 at 10:16 pm and is filed under Tips with tags Security. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.