Why should software updates be taken seriously?
Hackers are waiting for hackers to infiltrate your digital devices, and you may not know that a simple update is an important step in maintaining digital security. In each update, a new version of the software is made available to users that does not have the security vulnerabilities of the previous version. As a result, all companies regularly release updates to their operating systems that improve both device performance and software bug fixes.
According to Aetna and quoting the Independent, the Android operating system also offers new versions every year; But if developers encounter new issues, they will release new Android security patches every month through the Google service until the next update. For example, in the January 2022 update, Google announced that it had discovered a total of 48 vulnerabilities, most of which were rated highly vulnerable, and fixed them in the new update.
Some cell phone manufacturers do not publish these updates on a monthly basis and may offer Full-OTA updates each season. These updates include several security patches and are larger than regular, monthly updates. But companies that are part of the Android One project publish monthly updates that make their mobile phone users more vulnerable to security risks.
Software also often suffers from “software rot” over time; This feature, which occurs due to the accumulation of file types, is fixed by updating and restores software performance. In 2017, it was announced that Equifax, a major accreditation center for banking history and customer reporting, was vulnerable to software updates, and that hackers infiltrated and hacked the data of 143 million customers. This company has followed. The attack took place by exploiting security holes that the company would not have encountered if the company had made the latest security update two months before the attack.
The European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) now considers the lack of upgraded software to be a shortcoming; This means that if a business uses outdated software, it not only loses customer trust, but may face heavy fines.
Another point that should always be considered by users is the health of the web browser. Browsers, like other software, need to be constantly updated; Because by not updating them, users are deprived of exploiting the possibilities of new technologies; For example, many sections of websites are not seen at all in older versions. As a result, many large corporations, such as Gmail, YouTube, and Facebook, do not support older versions.
In addition to the issue of user quality, your personal security can be compromised by not updating. Hackers can steal personal information such as emails, bank details, etc. by exploiting unsecured browser security vulnerabilities. Internet malware generates malware, viruses and malicious files with incredible speed; Therefore, in each new version of the browser, security holes are identified and previous problems are fixed, and by keeping the browser up to date, the risk of attack is reduced.
Vulnerable browsers may also facilitate the download of spyware that could capture passwords or even turn your device into a “robot” used to participate in a “DoS attack”. In this type of attack, the attacker tries to take the computer and network resources out of the reach of its authorized users.
With the development of mobile phones, the use of messengers has also increased. Updated messengers are also good targets for cybercriminals; Because hackers use security holes in messengers to infiltrate. In some cases, the hack does not capture any suspicious activity, and may even address all other security issues except software updates; This is a method of hacking that is called a “zero click” attack.
A zero-click hack exploits users’ device flaws and uses a “data verification loophole” to log in. Most software uses data verification processes to prevent cyber intrusion. However, there are vulnerabilities that have not yet been discovered or have been fixed due to the use of older versions of the software, creating potentially lucrative targets for cybercriminals. Advanced hackers can use these vulnerabilities to launch cyber attacks; Without the user being able to take any action.
Zero-click attacks target applications that provide messaging or voice calls; Because these services are designed to receive and interpret data from unknown sources. Attackers often use specially formatted data such as text messages or hidden image files to inject code that compromises the device. The fact is that the messengers that allow people to be identified by their phone numbers can be an obvious target for complex intrusions.