Outdated software or missing security updates: For hackers and fraudsters, these are helpful vulnerabilities in your system that they are all too happy to exploit for an attack. Firewalls and antivirus software only offer limited protection here. And it is often the same programs that hackers use as a gateway. To close security gaps, you should always try to keep these programs up to date. In this blog post, we'll tell you which software, in particular, represents a security vulnerability and what else you can do to make your system secure.
Security vulnerabilities in widespread software such as Adobe Acrobat Reader
For hackers, finding vulnerabilities and developing malware is worthwhile primarily for programs, applications, and systems that are very popular, widely used, and openly accessible. Even in open-source applications, hackers and cybercriminals often find a weakness and then specifically exploit the security vulnerability.
For opening, reading, and viewing PDFs, this is the Adobe Acrobat Reader (also known as Adobe Reader and Acrobat Reader), with an estimated market share of 85%. The tool can be found everywhere as a download. Of course, the advantages of this application are obvious: the software has proven itself over the years, is free, and almost everyone uses the PDF format today. If you do not use an alternative here - such as our preferred Soda PDF - you should always keep your Adobe Acrobat Reader up to date.
The same applies to VLC Media Player, Skype, WinRAR, Microsoft Office, or Adobe Flash Player. These programs are also among the most frequently installed software applications worldwide. You should also keep your Internet browser up to date - no matter what device. This applies particularly to the popular browsers Firefox, Google Chrome, Edge, or Safari.
Software with known vulnerabilities, such as the video conferencing solution Zoom
As the Corona crisis continues, more and more people - privately and professionally - are using programs for video conferencing. One of the first programs was Zoom. Here, the number of users rose from 10 million in December 2019 to over 200 million in March 2020. The program suddenly became attractive to hackers because the flaws, gaps, and errors in data protection and the security concept were quickly discovered. Especially from the beginning of 2020, numerous blunders are known at Zoom, where users (or attackers) could, for example, penetrate other users' chat rooms and data was stolen. For affected companies, this vulnerability and security gap in Zoom were certainly not trivial.
Most of the "past" security vulnerabilities have been reliably and securely closed to date. Zoom has been constantly improving the security of its software ever since. However, if you are still using an older version of the video conferencing solution, you should urgently update it and get the latest patch. You can read more about Zoom in this blog post: Zoom or Teams - Which video conferencing software is ahead?
Security vulnerabilities due to outdated operating systems such as Windows 7
On January 14, 2020, Microsoft ended its support for the Windows 7 operating system. There are no more security updates from Microsoft. Security vulnerabilities are no longer closed, and bugs are no longer fixed. Today, almost a year and a half later, numerous users still use Windows 7 - after all, it was one of the most popular operating systems after XP. But with each passing day, the security vulnerabilities and potential dangers grow. If you are still using Windows 7, we recommend that you switch to Windows 10 as soon as possible. Here you will find a clear step-by-step guide on our blog: Free upgrade to Windows 10 - from Windows 7 and Windows 8
Allow updates for Java Runtime Environment
Security vulnerabilities and weaknesses in Java's runtime environment are also attractive to hackers. Here, they have the opportunity to introduce malware to different operating systems. To avoid a problem, you should allow updates here and never delay them.
Don't forget new drivers for hardware
You probably know that outdated hardware drivers cause computer problems and shorten the lifespan of your components. But outdated drivers are also a risk to your security, as they provide backdoors for dangerous attacks with viruses and malware. To ensure that your PC functions properly and that there is no danger to your system, you must not forget your drivers. But these must also be replaced by new and current drivers at regular intervals.
Automatically update software and device drivers to close security vulnerabilities
To ensure that the programs you use pose as little risk to your security as possible, you should update them regularly. This is a lot of work, especially if you do everything manually. But there is also software that helps you with this task. Update managers help you here: programs that constantly check your installed software and device drivers for up-to-dateness. If your update manager detects that there is a more current version of a software/driver, you will immediately receive a notification. Ideally, you can update the outdated program directly via the update manager. This way, you do something for your security and at the same time have the very latest software versions on your computer.
