by Christina DesMarais for Techlicious
Why Updating Your Software is a Must
You’re browsing around online when suddenly Chrome gives you a warning that says “Java was blocked because it is out of date,” along with the choice to either update the plug-in or just run the old version. Or you go into iTunes only to get this message, “A new version of iTunes is available. Would you like to download it now?”
Well, frankly, you don’t—doing so is an interruption and it can take time. The process of updating Java the last time I did it took nearly five minutes and don’t even get me started on iTunes—that’s an even lengthier ordeal.
These are only a couple examples, but in reality it can seem as if you’re constantly being prodded to update software on your computer.
It’s not that Adobe, Apple and the like are trying to be a pain, they just want to protect you. Updates contain important changes to improve the performance, stability and security of the applications that run on your computer. Installing them ensures that your software continues to run safely and efficiently. Keep in mind that many web exploits look for outdated software with unpatched security flaws. This especially holds true for operating system updates. If Microsoft and Apple say they’re recommended, not tagged as optional, you should definitely install them. Even the optional updates are a good idea.
This excerpt appears with the permission of Techlicious.
