Most malware is written to take advantage of flaws in existing software products. That's why it is particularly important to make sure your computer, and your applications, have the most recent patches installed. Software vendors periodically release updates or patches to fix vulnerabilities in their code. There is no reason to make things easier for hackers and cyber thieves. Make regular updates part of your good information security habits. Here's some advice on how make updates a routine activity.
Windows Update:
Being the most popular operating system, it is not surprising that Windows is the target of choice for the vast majority of malware. That means updates are critical to any security strategy involving Windows operating systems.
To turn on Window's Automatic Update feature, go to: START > Control Panel > Security Center > Automatic Updates. Turning on automatic updates will ensure your computer has the latest security patches. For non-critial software and driver updates, you will want to visit the Windows Update homepage by clicking the icon below, or using Internet Explorer (click on the "Tools" menu, and select "Windows Update").
One of the big advantages of Windows Update is that it will also update your Microsoft applications such as MSWord and other MSOffice suite software. Unfortunately, hackers are finding that applcations contain a number of vulnerabilities that they can take advantage of. It is just as important to update you applications as it is to update your operating system files.
Symantec Live Update:
By default, Symantec Client Security Anti-Virus is set to update weekly. However, it is still recomended that you attempt a "Live Update" before runing a scan. To do this, start the Symantec Client Security program (either by opening the Start menu, or clicking on the yellow shield in the lower right hand side of your screen). Once open, you will notice a button called "Live Update", click it. Next a screen will appear asking if you want to update, click "Yes." Symantec AV will now download and install any new updates. Afterwards, Symantec will restart itself so that the new definitions can be loaded into memory. (NOTE: FACULTY / STAFF may not be able to do a live update, as their version is "locked" to prevent any changes. This version is automatically updated from a server on campus, and faculty/staff do not need to run Live Update before a anti-virus scan.)
Other Important Updates:
Unfortunately, not all applications have a automatic update feature. However, keeping these programs up-to-date is vital to your computer's security. Spybot S&D, Spyware Blaster, and Ad-Aware are all examples of programs you will have to manually update. This can be accomplised by starting the program and clicking the button or link for "Update", or "Check for Updates." (Note that Spyware Blaster and Ad-Aware do have paid versions that allow automatic updates). REMEMBER, always update security software before performing a scan. This ensures that you will have the most recent malware definitions installed.
