The importance of updating your software
Software updates can seem like an irritant but they have an important purpose when it comes to keeping your business safe. It’s often tempting to try and deal with updating software later but doing that means that it can become a task that gets forgotten. And if your software updates aren’t current, then this can create a whole range of problems for your business, as well as meaning you miss out on opportunities to grow.
- Software updates allow you to get the most out of your investment. When a software update comes through, it’s basically ensuring that you get the best possible experience with the software you’ve invested in. As well as repairing security holes, software updates can be used to add new features, remove old ones and improve functionality.
- Keeping you safe from hackers. Security flaws are the vulnerabilities that leave your business open to hackers and others online who would like to profit from gaps in your protection. Because of the nature of software, and the fact that it is constantly evolving, security gaps are inevitable but that doesn’t mean you have to remain exposed. Regularly installing your security updates will mean you are downloading all the security patches that will keep hackers out.
- Protecting vital data. Devices today tend to contain a lot of data - or can be used to access all sorts of data, whether that relates to the business or individuals within it. Keeping that data safe is a legal requirement for organisations today, and there are some significant consequences to suffering a data breach or hack. If you’re regularly updating your software, then you minimise the chances of this happening. You also have the peace of mind of knowing that you’ve done everything possible to ensure the business is compliant with regulations like the GDPR.
- Keeping others around you safe too. For every person or business that ensures software updates are always being installed there are many others who will be protected because of those actions. It’s all too easy to pass malware from one device to another these days - and it becomes easier still if those devices aren’t running the latest versions of the software that is installed on them. So, in order to protect yourself and your networks - as well as those your devices come into contact with, it’s important to update your software on a regular basis.
Staying up to date with the latest innovation. Software updates give your organisation the opportunity to do more and grow further as they contain a whole range of different ways to improve the way the software functions. That could be improving the performance or speed of software or giving you access to a wider range of features. It always makes sense to ensure you’re working with the very latest versions so that you’re always up to date with what’s on offer.
Software updates should be regularly scheduled and never skipped. This will not only protect your business but ensure you get the most out of every investment too.