Modern desktop operating systems such as Microsoft Windows or Apple OS X offer regular software updates. These updates often include patches (fixes) for newly discovered security flaws. It is important to install these updates quickly so devices are secure against malware.
The most convenient and secure way to ensure computers are protected is by enabling automatic updates.
Tip! On Windows 10 machines, you can switch this feature on by choosing the 'Settings' menu, selecting 'Updates and security' and then clicking on 'Advanced Options'.
Tip! On an Apple Mac, open 'System Preferences' and make sure the 'Automatically check for updates', 'Install OS X updates' and 'Install system data files and security updates' options are all enabled.
It's also important to enable automatic updates for your web browsers. The latest versions of Apple's Safari and Microsoft's Edge browsers are updated automatically when you update your operating system. Other popular web browsers like Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox automatically download their own updates, but you'll need to restart the browser for the changes to take effect.