Unit 4 | Staying Safe

Updates

When someone makes a computer or program, they will try to make sure that it is “secure”. They want to make sure that no one can get in or make changes without permission. However, sometimes they make mistakes.

A vulnerability is a weakness that someone can use to do things that you don’t want them to do. If you think of a computer as a building, a vulnerability is like a hole in the wall or a window that doesn’t lock.

When the creators of the computer or program find out about a vulnerability, they will try to fix it. Once they have fixed it, they will send a message to your computer to say that there is an "update" available. An update is a new version of the program where the vulnerability has been fixed.

See some examples of update messages

This is an update message from Windows, which is the main program that might be running on a computer:

This is an update message for iOS, which is a program that runs on some phones and tablets:

Even individual apps can have updates. Here is a message for some apps on an Android phone:

When you get a message like this, you should install the update as soon as you can. While the vulnerability exists, someone could take advantage of it to do things you don’t want them to do. To install the update, you can follow the instructions in the message. If you are not sure, feel free to ask someone for help!

Once you have installed the update, the vulnerability will be fixed and you will be safe again.

When should I say no to an update?

While it is important to install updates, it's usually not urgent and there are some cases where you might want to say no altogether:

• The program is changing something that you don’t like.

• The update message looks different from what you are used to. Sometimes people will try to trick you into installing a virus by pretending to be an update. You will learn more about this in an upcoming lesson! For now, remember that you can ask someone to take a look at the message if you are not sure.

Generally speaking, most updates are improvements or fixes that will make your computer or program better. Still, you have a choice to skip it if you want to.