Computer Spring Cleaning

2009-04-01

F-Secure labs has posted an update suggesting that you "Give your computer a spring cleaning to avoid malicious exploits". They state, "F-Secure data indicates that what is making computers most vulnerable to exploits are unpatched or out-of-date versions of the most widely-used software for PC's. Between 89-90% of users have security holes in their systems with on average 5 different vulnerabilities in the software on their computers. Users don't remove the old versions of their programs and the vulnerabilities in them can leave the computer wide open to malware or malicious software."

When spring cleaning the computer, they suggest making sure that:

- Your software is updated with the latest patches

- You only have programs you use installed on your computer

- You remove old versions or unused software

- Your security solution is up-to-date

Sean Sullivan, F-Secure Labs, says "A lot of the software on users' computers has been updated and patched to make it safe. People are using these new versions, but if they do not delete the old or unused versions from their computers, they may still be open to exploits. F-Secure's data shows that people have lots of old software lying about on their PC's, unused, and creating possible problems."

You can read the full article here.