As part of Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2024, one of the key tenets promoted by CISA and the National Cybersecurity Alliance is the importance of keeping your software updated. While this may seem like a straightforward practice, ensuring that all software is up to date is a fundamental cybersecurity measure that organizations and individuals often overlook.
Why Software Updates Matter
Software updates play a crucial role in patching security vulnerabilities, improving system performance, and enhancing user experience. Every software or operating system contains weaknesses that can be exploited by malicious actors. Hackers often scan for these vulnerabilities, particularly in outdated software versions, to infiltrate systems and compromise sensitive data. According to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), updating software is one of the simplest yet most effective ways to prevent these attacks.
Outdated software is like an unlocked door—while it might not immediately invite trouble, it certainly makes an attack easier. Many high-profile data breaches and ransomware incidents occurred because an organization failed to install a security patch in time. CISA underscores the critical need to “understand patches and software updates” because failure to do so could lead to costly consequences. By updating your software, you’re closing these vulnerabilities and making it harder for attackers to exploit systems.
OutThink’s Human-Centric Approach to Software Updates
OutThink, as a leader in human risk management, recognizes the importance of integrating the human element into cybersecurity measures like updating software. While most organizations focus on the technical aspect of patching vulnerabilities, OutThink goes a step further by emphasizing the behavioral aspect. According to OutThink’s platform, many security issues stem from human behaviors—like delaying or ignoring software updates—rather than technology itself.
OutThink addresses this issue by using its advanced risk intelligence platform to analyze employee behavior and build tailored training programs. Through this human-centric approach, OutThink empowers employees to take proactive steps in maintaining software updates, fostering a workplace culture that is vigilant about cybersecurity best practices.
The Risks of Delaying Updates
When organizations delay updates, they inadvertently give cybercriminals more time to exploit known vulnerabilities. A prime example is the infamous WannaCry ransomware attack, which took advantage of a known vulnerability in Microsoft systems that had already been patched. Organizations that had updated their systems were protected, while those who delayed the patch suffered significant financial and reputational damage.
Additionally, outdated software is more susceptible to malware and other forms of cyberattacks. According to CISA’s resources on software updates, the longer software remains unpatched, the greater the risk of exposure to increasingly sophisticated threats. By regularly updating, users can stay ahead of attackers, ensuring that they have the latest security measures in place.
Automating the Update Process
One of the most effective ways to ensure that software updates are not overlooked is by enabling automatic updates whenever possible. CISA and the National Cybersecurity Alliance both encourage users to activate this feature on their devices. Automating updates removes the human element of procrastination and guarantees that devices are constantly running the most secure and stable versions of their software.
For organizations, OutThink’s platform can integrate this principle by encouraging employees to automate software updates on personal devices and company systems alike. The platform’s behavioral analysis tools can also identify individuals who may require additional training or reminders to stay on top of critical software updates.
How to Stay Compliant
Ensuring that your software is updated should be a standard operating procedure across all levels of an organization. The National Cybersecurity Alliance provides straightforward guidelines for implementing a company-wide update policy. However, awareness alone isn’t enough; employees need to understand why they should care. By leveraging OutThink’s human risk management strategies, organizations can engage employees in the process of securing their devices through consistent, well-timed updates.
OutThink’s platform emphasizes that training should be tailored to meet specific behavioral risks, including those related to software updates. Employees who understand the real-world consequences of neglecting updates—like data breaches and ransomware attacks—are more likely to take immediate action.
Conclusion
In today’s fast-evolving threat landscape, updating your software is not optional—it’s a necessity. While CISA, the National Cybersecurity Alliance, and industry experts stress the technical importance of software updates, OutThink’s human-centric approach provides the missing piece: changing human behavior to make software updates a consistent priority. Through behavioral intelligence and risk management, organizations can create a culture where employees understand the role they play in keeping systems secure.
OutThink has been proactively working with customers, partners and our community to enable everyone for Cybersecurity Awareness Month with free materials. We even developed a turnkey Cybersecurity Awareness Month program that organizations can download and use.
This Cybersecurity Awareness Month, make updating software a top priority—not just for your IT department but for every individual in your organization.
