SHOULD YOU GET SECURITY UPDATES? And WHAT are they?

It seems like our computers and mobile devices these days always have an update waiting to be installed every few weeks. This somehow endless stream of updates can be annoying when you need to get something done in a hurry, but we strongly recommend installing security updates right away, before you do anything else.

Many people assume that software updates are released mainly to add new features or fix a bug or two, but that isn’t the case at all. New software major “feature” versions are indeed released for that purpose, but most updates are actually security and maintenance updates. And trust us, those are the most important updates of all.

While some security and maintenance updates do in fact kill a bug or add a new feature every once in a while, but their primary purpose is to patch security holes that hackers can use to break into your computer or other device and send SPAM emails in your name, steal your personal information and bank accounts and perform many other malicious things.

This is especially true when it comes to security holes that are brought to the manufacturers’ attention. Those flaws are always either waiting for hackers to exploit or are already being exploited when the updates are released. That’s why a delay of even a few hours in installing those critical updates can result in a serious hack and/or data breach.

Put another way, waiting even a short while to install an important security update gives crooks a window of opportunity to do all kinds of damage on your personal and financial lives.

By the way, don’t forget to quickly install updates for your programs and apps as well because security flaws in those types of software are just as dangerous as flaws in a device’s operating system.

And now, one final thought about updates, the above really only applies to security and maintenance updates, not new major “feature” releases.

Those major updates are released on a somehow regular schedule to add new features and kill minor bugs. They are not intended to plug dangerous security holes.

Unlike with security and maintenance updates, our recommendation for major new feature updates is to take your time and not be in a big rush to install those. The reason I say that is those types of updates aren’t critical for the proper operation of your devices.

And since they are almost always filled with bugs when they are first released it’s best to give the manufacturers enough time to squash as many bugs as possible before taking the step and installing them on your devices.