The importance of application and operating system updates has risen to an all-time high. Data leaks from entities such as the Shadow Brokers expose us to greater risk than ever before. Formerly “unknown" vulnerabilities can quickly become disclosed and available to those who are more than happy to exploit them.
In a recent case, a security patch was available one month prior to a security information leak. But, ransomware targeting the vulnerability quickly spread around the world due to the large number of systems that remained unpatched. Future leaks will continue to expose more vulnerabilities, resulting in even greater damage and financial loss.
The only way to be 100 percent protected would be to lock your devices in a vault and power them off. Short of that option, regular installation of security updates is the best way to protect yourself and your data. Always keep your applications and operating system updated in order to remain secure.
In a recent case, a security patch was available one month prior to a security information leak. But, ransomware targeting the vulnerability quickly spread around the world due to the large number of systems that remained unpatched. Future leaks will continue to expose more vulnerabilities, resulting in even greater damage and financial loss.
The only way to be 100 percent protected would be to lock your devices in a vault and power them off. Short of that option, regular installation of security updates is the best way to protect yourself and your data. Always keep your applications and operating system updated in order to remain secure.
5 Good Ways to Help Protect Your Devices and Personal Information
- Enable auto‑updates to keep your device software current. Many applications offer an auto‑update option. If not, set a reminder to check for updates at least once a month.
- Security tools provide greater protection. Vendors such as Malwarebytes, Trend Micro and Bitdefender offer additional layers of security to protect you from newly discovered threats.
- Use a password manager tool to create random, unique passwords for online accounts. Many products such as Password Safe, LastPass, Dashlane and Keeper offer free versions.
- Use additional logon verification if available. Many sites such as Facebook, Amazon and Twitter offer multi‑factor authentication or logon alerts to let you know when someone is accessing your profile.
- Perform remote backups for additional protection. A few well‑known providers are iDrive, CrashPlan, Carbonite, iCloud and Google Drive.