What security risks can arise from not installing Windows Updates?

Again and again you hear about security risks and gaps in the IT area, which regularly scare you. In fact, this good or bad is part of everyday computer life. Because if one security gap is closed, one must always assume that cyber criminals have already found the next one and may already be in their own network.

Unfortunately, there is no such thing as 100% security in life. Because even security systems have risks.

So you have to keep one thing in mind: Neither in real nor in virtual life can you protect yourself from all dangers and risks. But of course everyone should still strive to take all protective measures to be as safe as possible.

For example, one of these protective measures in relation to virtual life is the installation of Windows Updates. This really shouldn't be a big problem for anyone. You don't need a lot of time or special know-how. And yet the installations of these updates are criminally neglected by many.

This article will examine which security risks you expose yourself to if you do without them and which additional measures you can take to protect yourself.

Table of contents Hide

1 Why do so many people avoid Windows updates?

2 What are the vulnerabilities and how can they be exploited?

3 What additional measures can I take to protect myself from hackers?

Why do so many people avoid Windows updates?

Of course, the reason for this in each individual cannot be answered here. But this much can be said: Anything that means a loss of comfort usually meets with little acceptance. This seems to apply to installing updates as well. Who among us hasn't just pushed away an important update message because we didn't want to interrupt our work or any other activity. Frequently, these updates are not just clicked away once, but over and over again until they are finally forgotten.

So we risk data loss and data theft mostly out of sheer convenience.

What vulnerabilities are there and how can they be exploited?

Updates often include fixing security vulnerabilities that may allow hackers to penetrate a system. These are the most common security vulnerabilities one can face by not updating:

• Secret backdoors, i.e. back doors, in hardware or software
• Configuration interfaces are accessible via the Internet
• Zero-day exploit, this involves a bug in the software
• Unsecured system and configuration files
• There is a possibility of command or program injection
• Outdated hardware and software with equally outdated security standards

All of the security gaps mentioned above make it possible for cybercriminals to use various means to infect systems and networks with malware or to break into systems and spy on data.

What additional measures can I take to protect myself from hackers?

1. First of all, it is important to create a secure password for your Microsoft account. Ideally, such a password should consist of upper and lower case letters, contain special characters and be at least ten characters long. You should also make sure that the password hint is only known to you.
2. It doesn't always have to be a password. You can also set an image code to log in. This works best on a touchscreen device, but not only. You take a photo from your archive and draw three characters anywhere on it. If you forget these characters, you can still log in with the password.
3. Windows 10 automatically installs system updates by default. This means that all important updates will be downloaded and installed without you having to do anything. However, you should check from time to time that the automatic installation of updates is also activated. Also, after installation, it takes two days for the PC to automatically restart for security updates to take effect. During this time, Windows is unprotected. Therefore, it is best to reboot yourself as soon as possible.
4. In contrast to the operating system, apps unfortunately do not update themselves. At least this is not the default setting. But that can be changed. To do this, open the Windows Store and go to the settings . There is a button here called "App Updates". If you click on this, the apps also update themselves automatically.
5. The preinstalled antivirus tool from Microsoft, Windows Defender, also ensures security in the network without having to install an additional virus scanner. If you call up Defender, you can make various settings there, for example manually search for updates or activate and deactivate real-time protection.
6. The use of a VPN network also ensures that protection against malware and data theft is significantly improved. A VPN transmits all the data you send and receive through an encrypted tunnel. This way, the information is safe and you can move around the net almost anonymously, since your own IP address does not appear anywhere, only that of the VPN provider.

So you see, while you're never fully protected from malware and hacker attacks, there are still some security measures you can take that can improve protection. And it's always a nice feeling to know that you've at least done as much as possible to protect yourself.