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Prevent attacks from outdated software
A percentage of device users will purchase some form of hardware - a smartphone, a tablet, a laptop - and personalize the settings to suit their needs and never perform updates afterwards. Despite the fact that many programs will alert the user when security patches or new additions are available, some ignore these notifications and leave their systems as-is.
Especially within an enterprise or e-commerce setting, this practice can have significant repercussions when it comes to information security. Outdated software including operating systems, plugins and individual applications can maintain exploitable protection weaknesses on a workstation, allowing a hacker to easily snoop and steal any sensitive content stored on the hardware. For best data protection, administrators, employees and consumer end users should be sure to update their programs on a regular basis to prevent attacks.
SSL Certificates
One such component that should be kept up-to-date is an SSL certificate. While primarily utilized to safeguard customer purchasing information on e-commerce websites, many businesses have also leveraged the encryption offered by this technology to protect sensitive data as well. However, an outdated SSL certificate poses the same risk to the end user as any other aging system.
Servertastic contributor Andy Gambles noted that hackers have recently utilized phishing strategies to attack e-commerce and other SSL-protected websites. However, by updating the certificate from a trusted certificate authority when necessary, as well as performing a malware scan of the site, operators can guarantee that the page is not hosting malware that could attack users.
Windows XP support ending
Another aspect to consider when updating software is the operating system of workstations and other hardware. Many organizations release upgrades and patches for currently used OSes, which should be installed as soon as possible to prevent any weaknesses from being exploited.
Currently, a number of individuals and groups have been dealing with the migration away from Windows XP, as Microsoft announced that support for the aging OS will be pulled April 8, 2014. The company noted that 84 percent of PC users have transitioned to another OS, however others still on the platform could be vulnerable to attack, according to NDTV Gadgets contributor Gopal Sathe.
"Our customers use Windows operating system to run critical processes which help them at work and in their lives," said Microsoft managing director Karan Bajwa. "Therefore it is important that they use a version of Windows that gives them the best possible security and capability."
Increase in Java malware
During the upgrading process, individual programs like Java should not be overlooked. Java is used in a large number of capacities, and therefore has become an attractive target for hackers. A Microsoft blog post stated that there has been a "drastic increase in Java-based malware," specifically attacks on a Java vulnerability connected with the CVE-2012-0507 AtomicReferenceArray. Although users can protect themselves from attacks leveraging this and other weaknesses within the program by ensuring the version of Java being utilized is the most up-to-date available. Individuals can visit the Java website to check was version is being run, and to see if there are updates.
Protect data in transit with an SSL certificate today.
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