A software update is a new version of an application, game or other program on a computer or mobile device. New versions of software usually include security patches as well as performance upgrades and cosmetic changes. Keeping your software and operating system fully updated is an important step in ensuring that your information is safe, your devices are secure and working properly and that the programs you use are compatible with each other.
Many of the programs that you install on your devices will automatically check for updates, as will most operating systems such as Windows or macOS. However, some programs have dedicated settings or menus where you can manually run a software update. Using these features is one of the most effective ways to keep third-party software up-to-date and ensure that your computer or mobile device runs at its peak performance.
A number of different types of software updates are available for most popular programs and operating systems, with the most critical being security updates that fix known vulnerabilities. These are generally rated as critical, important, moderate or low depending on how serious the vulnerability is and should be installed immediately. Other types of updates may address specific bugs in the program or include a collection of related security and non-security fixes into a service pack.
It is recommended that network administrators test software updates in a test environment to see how they affect the systems they are designed to operate on before deploying them across a production network. If this is not possible, several utility applications are available that simulate virtual machines and allow the administrator to test a software update against a specific configuration of hardware.
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