Do I have to apply every tech update?
Q: I’m really frustrated with the frequency of updates on my Windows PC, ipad, and Samsung phone. Do I really need to apply every single update every time or can I just wait until the really big updates come out?
A: This is an entirely reasonable question, and the basic answer is that it depends entirely on your aversion to risk. Most updates are related to security, tweaks and changes that make it harder for malicious hackers to break into your device and potentially steal data or worse.
This leaves us in the position of the criminal in the film Dirty Harry, when SFPD Inspector Callahan (Clint Eastwood) so memorably says: You’ve gotta ask yourself one question: “Do I feel lucky?”
If you only ever use the same half-dozen apps like Gmail, Twitter, and Instagram, odds are that you will mostly likely be able to avoid the greatest online risks and remain safe, even if you only apply updates every few weeks.
But if you open attachments from friends, occasionally click on links in spam messages, download games and utilities from lots of different sites, and generally poke around and explore the shadowy edges of the Internet, well, then you aren’t safe.
Update? Yeah, you probably should
The problem is that software has become incredibly complicated, so the chances of having security issues arise has increased, even with comprehensive testing. For example, it’s estimated that Windows 11 is comprised of over 50 million lines of source code, and Android 13 apparently has about 12 million lines of code. Now imagine being responsible for ensuring that there are zero glitches, errors, or hiccups in the code that could offer a potential entry path for hackers. Not so easy.
Some updates, however, are a big deal.
If you’re still running Windows XP on your old PC because “it’s always worked”, then you are at increasing risk of malware, spyware, even ransomware because Microsoft stopped supporting the OS. This means that even if there are security problems identified, the company won’t issue a patch or update. If you’re online at all, XP is no longer a safe operating system.
But conversely, there are some updates that are probably safe to defer, particularly if it’s an update related to the introduction of a new device by the manufacturer. Apple, for example, might introduce a new line of iphones and update all other systems to now support that device. Can you defer if you aren’t buying one? Yes.
Still, I recommend that you try to stay as current as possible, even if it means that every few days you spend a few minutes saving everything, updating, restarting, and recovering. Avoiding malware problems is unquestionably worth the hassle.