Keeping your applications up to date is one of the best ways you can protect your computer and other devices from viruses and attackers. Spring is in full swing. As a matter of fact, it is almost summer so now is a perfect time to clean out your device, get rid of unused applications, and make sure the ones you keep are up to date.
Applications purchased or downloaded through a store like iTunes for iOS devices or Google Play for Android devices make updating easy. Just press a button and all of your apps will be updated with the latest content and security patches. In some cases, you can even set the device to do this for you on a regular basis. Windows Store apps even benefit from this easy update approach, but what about everything else? Some applications like current versions of Adobe Reader which is a common target for hackers now include their own auto update feature to help keep the applications secure and up to date.
It is important however to be proactive in making sure all your applications are updated regularly. Microsoft Update defaults to trying to update the operating system and other Microsoft applications every day, should you do the same for other applications? In my opinion, probably not. I would recommend sitting down once a month with your favorite beverage or snack and checking the applications on your computer for updates. If an application doesn’t have a built in update tool check creator’s website for updated versions.
Scheduling time to check and make sure your applications are up to date doesn’t just help keep your computer more secure and running right, but by making this sort of a checkup part of your regular routine lets you take stock in what applications you have installed and what applications you use so you can keep your computer nice and tidy and running great for years to come.