MEPX
Chapter 5 of 10All chapters
  1. 1Who is actually after you
  2. 2Passwords
  3. 3Two factor authentication
  4. 4Phishing and social engineering
  5. 5Updates and patching
  6. 6Encryption
  7. 7Networks and public wifi
  8. 8Malware and ransomware
  9. 9Access and least privilege
  10. 10When something goes wrong

Chapter 5 of 10

Updates and patching

The least glamorous, most effective defence.

Why speed matters

When a fix ships, the flaw becomes public knowledge, and scanning for unpatched machines starts within hours. Most successful intrusions use a hole with a fix already available.

  • Turn on automatic updates for the operating system, browser and phone.
  • Software past end of life stops receiving fixes and should be replaced.

Everything counts

Routers, cameras and other devices run software too and are rarely updated. They are a common way into home and office networks.