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Securing Your
PC
Do your
Windows Updates
What are "Windows
Updates"?
"Windows Updates"
are software updates or "patches" that all versions of Windows
require in order to operate securely and
efficiently. When you do not have the latest
Windows Updates you are taking many risks that include (but
are not limited to):
- Hackers
exploiting programming flaws in Windows
- Worms automatically
exploiting security holes when you are connected to the
internet
- Using out of
date software that may cause system instability, or worse,
system damage
You may have heard
people refer to Windows Updates as a website. This is
because the primary method of retrieving windows updates is by
getting them from Microsoft’s "Windows Updates" website. The windows update
site is located at
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com.
Checking for
Windows Updates often ensures you
have:
- All necessary
security patches for Windows
- The latest
versions of several Microsoft Software
products
- The latest
Microsoft Approved drivers
Microsoft Windows
is a man-made piece of software – it was created for humans,
by humans. With
that said, it's important to realize that everyone makes
mistakes . The problem
with mistakes in software that millions of people use is that
eventually someone is going to find it. When a problem is
found in Windows and it compromises security, it is known as a
vulnerability.
At the time of
publishing of this book Microsoft is releasing all Critical
Windows Updates on the first Tuesday of every month, unless
they feel they need to release a critical update
earlier.
Reasons to do Windows
Updates
If
you fail to install necessary updates for Windows, you may be
vulnerable to hackers and attacks from viruses, worms and
spyware.
In
2003, a worm called “Blaster worm” swept across the Internet
infecting hundreds of thousands of Windows PC’s. The only users that
were safe from infection were users who had successfully
installed the patched their PC by doing Windows Updates. The update to Windows
that prevented you from being infected was released long
before the worm was released on the
Internet.
As
virus writers and other programmers find more vulnerabilities
in windows they will write programs to exploit them. Be diligent in doing
your Windows Updates to ensure you have the maximum level of
protection in your PC.
You
will also want to do Windows Updates to ensure you have the
latest Microsoft Approved drivers installed. A driver is software
that allows Windows to work properly with hardware. If you have faulty or
out of date drivers you may have problem with your hardware.
Hardware items
are things like your video card (your display), your sound
card (audio), your printer, and so on. These are usually
optional updates and have to be installed directly from the
Windows Update website (http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com)
Windows
Updates also includes newer versions of free software that
Microsoft produces like Windows Media Player and Windows Movie
Maker. These are
usually optional updates and have to be installed directly
from the Windows Update website (http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com)
How to get Windows
Updates
There are two easy ways to get the
latest Windows Updates:
- Through the Windows Updates website
- Through Automatic Updates
Getting updates from the
Windows Update
website
Go
to
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com.
Follow the
instructions on your screen and apply all of the updates
available to your computer.
You
should check the Windows Updates website at least once a
month as some updates can only be downloaded exclusively from
this site.
Getting updates through
Automatic Updates
Every version of
Windows has a built in feature that allows you to install
updates and patches automatically.
It is highly
recommended you turn Automatic Updates on to ensure you are
getting critical updates as they are
released.
When you use
Automatic Updates you do not receive all Windows Updates that
you would at the Windows Update website; you will only receive
updates that Microsoft classifies as "Critical". You
will want to visit the Windows Update site frequently to
ensure you have the latest optional updates as
well.
How to turn on Automatic
Updates
Turn
on Automatic Updates
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