They seem like they come at the worst possible time, but here’s why updates matter. According to CISA, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, three of the top fifteen most commonly exploited vulnerabilities in 2023 were identified in 2022 or before. Worse yet, sixteen of the next thirtytwo commonly exploited vulnerabilities were identified in 2022 or before, with one as far back as 2017. If a small business has fully updated technology, these would all be one less thing to worry about.
At the worst time
It always feels as if updates occur at the worst of times. Often right before an important meeting, the end of the work day, or during the busiest time of the business day. In reality, updates happen when they happen and often at night when no one is working. The nice thing about updates is they can be scheduled for a certain time of time to process.
Old vulnerabilities linger
As CISA has identified, old vulnerabilities continue to be utilized by cybercriminals. If it ain’t broke, why fix it? Many live by that motto, cybercriminals do too. This is because if a vulnerability works often enough, it doesn’t make sense to stop using it. This also shows just how truly important updates really are. Whether the update is for a computer, smartphone, software or app, modem, router, IoT device, printer, or one of the million other things, updates matter.
Update strategy
Many of us utilize automatic updates at home, but should a small business do so too? The answer is maybe, as it depends. There are risks with updates as they can sometimes have unintended consequences. These consequences can break devices, software, or cause other issues. So it is important to weigh those risks.
Old exploited vulnerabilities are why updates matter!
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