Keeping your software up to date is important to your digital safety and cybersecurity. One major reason is that as time goes on, security flaws, exploits, and backdoor hacks are discovered. The only way to ensure that you are protected against these issues is by staying current with your software as most software developers work very hard to stay on top of these issues and push out fixes before they ever become a problem in the first place.
The most important of these to update are your operating systems such as Windows, macOS, Linux, etc. Official support for Windows 7 ended in January of 2020. That means that Windows 7 users will no longer receive critical security updates and patches, potentially leaving users susceptible to nefarious activity. It can be very easy to push off updating, or in the case of Windows 7 holding off on upgrading altogether, but it is not worth the risk.
It is also important to keep all your desktop applications as current and up to date as possible as well. The reason is that viruses and malware evolve over time and can gain access to your computer through these applications and potentially compromise the entire system without alerting you as the user. The good news is that most applications are becoming increasingly cloud-based, meaning that you access them through your browser and do not need to maintain a local copy of that program on your desktop. However, for the few programs you maintain on your desktop, most importantly your default browser, it is critical that you maintain the regular updates that get pushed to you.
An additional benefit to keeping your software current besides enhanced cybersecurity is often better overall performance via new features and program stability. These new features and enhanced performance can only make their way to your desktop applications if you update them. Most programs will notify you of these updates when they become available, but if you are curious to see if you have the latest version available, most applications locate this option under Settings -> About.
Schultz Financial Group Inc. (SFG) is a wealth management firm located in Reno, NV. Our approach to wealth management is different from many other wealth managers, financial advisors, and financial planners. Our team of fee-only fiduciaries strives to help our clients build their wealth across four capitals: Financial Matters, Physical Well-being, Psychological Space, and Intellectual Engagement. We provide family office and wealth management services to clients located in Nevada, California, and other states. If you’d like more information, please check out our website or reach out to us via our contact page.