Cyber Security Tip #2 – Keep your software up to date
Software updates very often contain critical security vulnerability fixes!
Automatic Updates
Activate automatic updates for all your software, including your Operating System (Windows), Antivirus, Adobe Reader, Adobe Flash and Java.
Use helpful applications (listed below) to see if your other applications are up to date.
Enable automatic updates
How to enable automatic updates for Windows 8.1
With your mouse pointer move to the lower-right corner of the screen and moving the mouse pointer up, click Settings, click Change PC settings, and then click Update and recovery.
Click Choose how updates get installed.
Under Important updates, choose Install updates automatically.
Under Recommended updates, select the Give me recommended updates the same way I receive important updates check box.
Under Microsoft Update, select the Give me updates for other Microsoft products when I update Windows check box, and then click Apply.
How to enable automatic updates for Windows 7
Click on the Start button, type Update.
In the list of results, click Windows Update.
In the left pane, click Change settings.
Under Important updates, choose Install updates automatically.
Under Recommended updates, select the Give me recommended updates the same way I receive important updates check box, and then click OK. If you’re prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
Personal Impact
If any of your devices are infected with viruses (malware), the following could happen:
Identity theft.
Personal information theft.
Your social media accounts can be compromised (hacked).
You may suffer reputational damage should hackers post unsavoury content to hacked accounts.
Your bank accounts could be compromised and money stolen.
Email account compromised (hacked) and used to send spam and scams to everyone on your address book.
Criminals can take pictures of you with your webcam / front camera.
Criminals can make audio and / or video recordings of you and your surroundings using your device.
Criminals can use these recordings and pictures for extortion, blackmail or misrepresentation.
Your credit record can be damaged.
Accounts can be opened in your name without your knowledge.
Your email inbox could be flooded with unwanted emails. (Spam)
Children
Images of you or your family can be harvested without your permission and used on unsavoury websites.
Untrusted people can track the movements of your family from geotags in certain pictures posted on the web.
Untrusted people (e.g. paedophiles) can gather intelligence on your family from various online sources and attempt to contact your children.
Device Security
Criminals can implicate your device in cybercrime.
Your device can become infected with viruses (malware).
Data Security
There are many incidents that could result in you losing some or all of your valuable data.
Comercial
Ninite: https://ninite.com/updater/ (Windows and Linux)
Freely Available
AppFresh: http://metaquark.de/appfresh/mac (Mac)
Secunia PSI: http://secunia.com/vulnerability_scanning/personal/ (Windows)
SUMo: http://www.kcsoftwares.com/index.php?sumo (Windows)
Update Checker: http://filehippo.com/updatechecker (Windows)