Thread: Keep software up-to-date

Having up-to-date software means that the latest vulnerabilities that the developers have detected have been patched up. This makes software more stable and less susceptible to attacks. You should make sure that popular products such as Opera, Firefox, Flash plugins and media players are definitely updated, since malware coders are constantly on the lookout for exploiting them. Most applications have auto updates but if for some reason they don't work or have been disabled then you would have to check manually for each and every application installed on your system. A better way to check version status is with Secunia OSI - Online Software Inspector. It will scan your system and give you details of problem areas and suggestions about which applications need to be updated. There is also the Personal Software Inspector (PSI) application which is available for download. The app can do a more thorough inspection and gives you direct links to update old and programs that are potentially not secure.