There are many ways in which threats can be introduced to the campus computing environment. Some of them, such as phishing emails we are all very familiar with, others however may be less obvious. A key one of these is not installing system updates.
Most people are aware of the fact that Microsoft and Apple regularly release system updates- what many may not realize is why these are important- it’s not just about new features! The longer a particular version of an OS is in use, the more vulnerabilities hackers and other bad actors discover- and target- to try to get their hands on information or systems that they shouldn’t have access to. OS updates do not just bring you new features, but security fixes that protect from these vulnerabilities that have been discovered and exploited.
Over time, if updates are not installed, systems become increasingly vulnerable to attack, which not only puts your own information at risk, but when you are using a University device (or accessing University accounts via a personal device), the University’s information. Thankfully the fix for this issue is simple- make sure you regularly install updates!
Information Services is working diligently to ensure that all of UP’s devices with an outdated OS are brought up to current versions- a process which sometimes requires an in person visit by a technician, especially if a device is several versions behind. As one can imagine, this is a problem which was compounded by our time away during the pandemic.
So, what can you do to help?
- If you are an employee using a UP device, keep an eye on your inbox for messaging from the Help Desk team asking you to run new updates or schedule appointments to upgrade older devices. The Help Desk is also just a call, email, or visit away, if you run into any issues or have any questions.
- Not an employee or using a personal device? Be sure to look out for messages on your devices from your manufacturer or provider (in the case of a mobile device) indicating that updates are available, and run them as soon as you can.
To make update processes easier, it is also advisable to ensure that you have any information saved on your device backed up elsewhere- or ideally, to save items off device by default. Not only does this protect against unexpected loss if a device fails, but limiting what you save directly on your device also gives your device more room to run updates faster when the time comes! All University members have a great resource for this in the form of OneDrive- which can be accessed from your myapps page.
Questions? Contact us at help@up.edu!
