Why are software updates so important for security?
Short answer
Updates fix security flaws that attackers already know about. Once a fix is published, criminals can study it to attack devices that have not updated, so delaying updates leaves a known, documented hole open.
The details
Turn on automatic updates for your operating system, browser and apps. Replace devices and software that no longer receive security updates, because new flaws in them will never be fixed.
What to do
- Enable automatic updates on phones, computers and browsers.
- Restart devices regularly so updates actually install.
- Replace devices that are out of security support.
Terms explained
- Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV)
- CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog lists vulnerabilities with reliable evidence that attackers are exploiting them.
- Patch management
- Patch management is the process of finding, prioritizing, testing and installing software updates that fix security flaws.
Sources
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