A security patch and its importance
A security patch is software of small size. Usually, it is given by companies when they discover security flaws in the software of their technical devices such as computers or smartphones. Security patches cover the holes in the software, thus, preventing hackers from exploiting the faults which may lead to severe consequences on the manufacturers and the users. Whenever a breach is discovered, software developers advise people to inform them first before the public. The information presented helps them to create patches without hackers getting a chance to generate malware attacks (Identity Theft Resource Center, 2018). Security patches updates occur frequently, and the user may not even realize the existence of flaws. Therefore, it is vital to update software continually.
Microsoft's regular security updates
Microsoft has regular security updates for the Windows Operating System. The two most recent security patch updates happening in January and February 2018. In January, Microsoft released updates to fix the Spectre and Meltdown flaws which make hacking of computers with chips made by Intel, ARM, and AMD easy. The update was designed for computers that do not use these chips, but Microsoft sought to resolve this issue for all machines (Krebs, 2018). In February, Microsoft had 33 security patches for the Windows Operating System. One update is the KB4074591- cumulative update for Windows 10 version 1511 to build 10586.1417. It majorly updates time zone information and addresses issues such as URL redirection in Internet Explorer (Brinkmann, 2018).
The benefits of security patches
Security patches help secure computers from cyber attackers, henceforth, preventing loss of data. The updates also serve to improve the operating system design and add new features. By continually updating the security system, the computer is less vulnerable to hackers who may use it for malicious needs. Therefore, it is necessary to frequently perform security updates for the operating system. The updates can be done by having the system update itself automatically when the developers release new updates.
References
Brinkmann, M. (2018, February 13). Microsoft Security Updates February 2018 release. Retrieved March 12, 2018, from ghacks.
https://www.ghacks.net/2018/02/13/microsoft-security-updates-february-2018-release/
Identity Theft Resource Center. (2018). What are Security Patches and why are they important. Retrieved March 12, 2018, from Identity Theft Resource Center: https://www.idtheftcenter.org/Cybersecurity/what-are-security-patches-and-why-are-they-important.html
Krebs, B. (2018). 10 Microsoft's Jan.2018 Patch Tuesday Lowdown. Retrieved March 12, 2018, from KrebsonSecurity; In-depth security news and investigation: http://krebsonsecurity.com/2018/01/microsofts-jan-2018-patch-tuesday-lowdown/.
