These are big programs that require regular updates to keep safe and stable. In fact, many of the more harmful malware attacks we see take advantage of software vulnerabilities in common applications, like operating systems and browsers. Software updates are important because they often include critical patches to security holes. This was a tough lesson, but one that we can all learn from. A fix for this security hole was actually available two months before the breach, but the company failed to update its software.
The hackers were able to access the credit reporting agency’s data through a known vulnerability in a web application. You may have heard of the recent Equifax data breach, in which 143 million Americans were potentially affected, with Social Security numbers, birth dates, and home addresses exposed. But this is a mistake that keeps the door open for hackers to access your private information, putting you at risk for identity theft, loss of money, credit, and more. The truth is it’s easy to skip software updates because they can take up a few minutes of our time, and may not seem that important. You’re busy, so you click “cancel” instead of “install”, thinking you’ll get to it later, but you never do.
You’re hard at work on your computer or device and a message suddenly pops up saying, “a software update is available”.
