Good cyber hygiene is always important. But right now, with the threat of Russian cyber-attacks on American computer systems, it’s critical.
One of the best ways to protect yourself, your devices, and all the information stored on them is to make sure the software for your operating system, browsers, and apps are all up to date.
“It’s absolutely essential because almost all of these updates that are showing up, whether it be on your phone or your computer, are there specifically for security reasons,” said cyber security expert Chester Wisniewski, a principal research scientist at Sophos, a global digital security firm.
“Most often, companies like Google, Microsoft, and Apple only release those updates when somebody has been actively attacking their devices and has succeeded and found a way to break into them, and that’s why those updates are being released,” he said.
Most security updates take place automatically unless you’ve turned off the automatic update feature.
“If you have turned it off, I would implore you to turn it back on,” Wisniewski said.
It’s important to be prepared for the worst, such as a ransomware attack that disables your machine and locks up your files. Backup your important files to an external drive, or have them automatically backed up with a cloud-based service, such as iCloud or Google. Don’t put it off. Do it now.
