Shocking Facts about Updating Your PC Operating System
by Richard Rossbauer
Many everyday Internet Users do not know why they must keep
their computer
Operating Systems Up-To-Date - and many dont even know what an
Operating
System is!
From "ignorance is bliss" to "surprise attack and
disaster" - how many thousands
of Internet users have experienced this frustration and grief?
This raises the obvious question: Why haven't they prepared
to avoid it?
|
The startling fact
is that there are many long term Internet users who have
never even considered updating their Operating Systems and
protective Safe-ware. |
Perhaps the complexity of it
all contributes to what might be described as User apathy
- or indifference and a lack of enthusiasm toward the following:
● The news of
yet another vulnerability or patch process.
● The
potential damage to computer, personal information and
reputation -
i.e. the "It
can't happen to me" attitude.
● Their own
abilities - i.e. Im too old, too dumb, too whatever - to learn
how to fix a computer
without breaking something.
● Updating -
i.e. My computer came with an anti-virus program, so why does
it need to be updated
now?
The sad fact is that the lack of
confidence people have in their ability to build a
defense often leads to a reluctance to even accept the reality
of Cyber Threats.
Some of the lesser-experienced Internet users rationalize their
lack of action with pessimism, even defeatism. Human nature
often supports these excuses with
defensive attitudes and disbeliefs like:
● False sense of
disaster support - My nephew, neighbor, son or whoever,
is a computer whiz. Theyll be able to fix the problem if
anything ever happens.
● Skepticism
- All this talk about viruses is just so the "news people" will
have information for publishing, and so the software
manufacturers can scare
people into buying more of their products.
● Ignorance
(of the extent of deception, skills and sophistication that the
malicious hackers have attained).
● Disbelief
(that personal computer might be infected and used by others to
spread malicious viruses and worms). My computer seems to be
working ok -
a little slow, maybe, but it is getting pretty old.
● Overwhelmed
(too many choices with firewalls, anti-virus, anti-spam,
anti-spyware, Trojan removers). "Why do I need all of these and
which ones
should I use?" or "Do I really need to update my Operating
System, my anti
virus, spam, spyware stuff?"...Ill just never learn how to do
all of this.
● Expense -
"How much will all this cost and is it really necessary?"
● Fatalism -
Hey, if its going to happen, it will, and Ill just junk my
computer and get another one. Mines getting kind of old,
anyway.
Here,
then, are the Shocking facts about updating PC Operating
Systems.
There are many unaware Internet users who have been online
for years, but
lack in these areas:
● They dont know
what Updating really means.
● They have never
responded to the popup message associated with the icon
in the Task tray
that announces new Windows Updates.
● They have never
clicked on the Windows Update icon in the Program
Start menu.
● They have never
visited the Microsoft Windows Update web page at
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/.
●
They have never updated their PC
Operating Systems!
Even if they have been able to navigate to the Microsoft Update
webpage, many just throw up their hands in despair at the
overwhelming number of choices and unknowns, such as:
● Choosing what
to update from the long list of options.
● Waiting for
Windows to check the registry for available updates.
● Deciphering the
Update descriptions (and instructions).
● Selecting or
Removing the necessary options.
●
Starting the download.
And oftentimes, many people have never even used the Windows
Help information
to find out how to update their computer Operating Systems.
How many self taught or untrained computer users are going to
persevere through
all of the hassle described above? Is it any wonder so many
computers become
infected?
|
The criminal Hackers
building their bot and zombie armies have nearly an open
and undefended playing field; many are using it every
day to steal money and identities. |
So, what's the solution to this problem?
If individuals with computer "understanding" would help and
assist others with less knowledge, there would probably be less
of a problem.
Nearly everyone who has faithfully kept their PC Operating
Systems and Safe-ware
up to date surely has family members and friends who could
benefit from an hour or so
of basic instructions. This would make it much more difficult
for the criminal Hackers to compromise another person's
computer.
Hacker's would eventually be faced with
a growing number of adequately protected computers and educated
Users and hopefully would finally give-up trying! |
