Posted 27 April 2003

A security patch is a mini-program that fixes a security problem in a bigger program. Most software has bugs and software writers regularly release patches to fix these problems. Some are serious and some are trivial.

Security patches are released because the vendor has found a problem that could affect your system. The fact that a patch has been released means the bad guys know about the problem as well. You need that patch to make sure your system isn’t vulnerable.

Even if you don’t care about the data on your systems, unpatched computers are open to being hijacked by spammers and other undesirables. These people like to cover their tracks and use badly configured systems to hide them. At the very least, you may find yourself blocked by many other sites at worst you may get a huge usage bill.

All the major companies have websites with their updates available. Microsoft and most anti-virus companies have automatic features to do that for you. Even with automatic updates, we’d recommend regularly checking for updates to your systems.

Just as you don’t leave your office or car unlocked, you shouldn’t leave your computer system open. The first step to ensuring a secure network is to have the latest security patches on your system.