The software that drives devices, apps and systems is always improving. Developers make changes to fix security risks, add new features and boost speed. When software isn’t updated, your device or programs may not work the way they should or could even break altogether. Updating the software on your computers, phones and other devices is one of the most important things you can do to ensure they’re working properly.
In addition to fixing security flaws, software updates are often designed to upgrade older protocols to tougher standards that are harder for cybercriminals to crack. This is why keeping software updated is an essential part of computer and phone security, along with installing antivirus and other protective programs.
When your device or program is ready to receive an update, it will notify you. You might have to wait for it to finish downloading and install before the process starts, or you might be able to click a button to start it immediately. Whenever possible, it’s best to download updates directly from your vendor’s websites rather than via pop-up ads or email attachments. Attackers frequently disguise malware as updates, and if you download them from suspicious sources, they could compromise your devices or steal data.
When you’re ready to deploy updates on a large scale, it’s important to plan ahead. This will minimize disruption to your business and help you maintain a consistent and logged application of updates. Consider integrating automation into your software update management, so that tools can handle the tasks involved in identifying when updates are needed, downloading and applying them on a wide range of systems, logging the results of each deployment and maintaining a rollback plan for when things go wrong.