What does updating really do?
So your device has popped up another update request. Why do they show up so often? What do they even do? Frustrated, you click "Remind me Later" and continue what you were doing ...
Please DO NOT DO THAT!
Updates may seem like an annoyance, but they are extremely important for your computer's security.
While computer programmers may not want to admit it, computer software is not perfect. It has flaws and it can always have new features added to make it better. It's because of this fact that updates exist. Updates can improve either your operating system or an application running on your computer / tablet / phone. These improvements fall into three different categories:
Bug Fixes - unintended mistakes done by the programmer can cause the program to crash, slow down or give errors. Whenever new bugs are found and reported, the developers fix them using an update. When you update, your software works better.
Product Enhancements - many updates, whether they be on your phone, laptop, or PC, will include some new features that make the product better. For example the Windows 10 Creators Update included addons to the taskbar allowing you to pin contacts and websites as well as the ability to Skype someone directly from the taskbar. It also enabled voice-to-text making note-taking faster. As for the iOS 11 update it included an improved Siri, the ability to drag and drop content like images and links from one app to another, as well as searchable handwriting and document scanning. These are very specific examples but the idea carries across to all updates. It may be new levels on your favorite games or new color scheme but all these upgrades can only be obtained through updates - so it's worth taking the time.
Security Vulnerability Patches - patches are just that, they cover holes that the bad guys try to exploit in code. Hackers are always looking for holes in code that they can use to plant their own code or gain access to areas they shouldn't be allowed in. Often we see hackers successfully infiltrate an application using a weakness they found, and right away the programmers will fix the code then send out an update so people like you won't get hacked. The catch is that unless you do the update, the weakness is still there - leaving you vulnerable to attacks. So it's supremely important to update so your data stays safe.
Don't take the risk; find a time to update. Maybe at the end of your work day you could schedule your computer to do any new updates and reboot. If you're not sure how to set that up or your still not sure how updating benefits you, give us a call and we would be happy to help! Many of our clients are enjoying our Managed Update Service that automatically keeps their computers at the latest and greatest version.
Feel free to email us with any questions: info@allcareit.com
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