Weekend tech reading: Typical Windows user patches every 5 days

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Matthew DeCarlo

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Typical Windows user patches every 5 days The typical home user running Windows faces the "unreasonable" task of patching software an average of every five days, a security and vulnerability research company said today. "It's completely unreasonable to expect users to master so many different patch mechanisms and spend so much time patching," said Thomas Kristensen, the chief security officer of Secunia. Computerworld

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I'm not sure I buy those numbers, especially since Secunia is not an unbiased independent party. There business is scaring people with stuff like this. I finally removed their software from my machine when it would not stop telling me to patch a program I had already uninstalled.

I probably use Windows a lot more than the "typical" user (although my usage may be typical of techspot readers), and actively keep my system patched. Windows 7 and Firefox do a good job of keeping me updated on many patches, without any intervention on my part other that to accept the install. My GPU drivers are the only ones I can think of that I have to go actively find, and they are not a security threat when not updated.
 
I agree with matraver, every 5 days for a "typical Windows user" isn't realistic, though I haven't dealt with Secunia's software,
Thorough benchmark by Tom's Hardware, liked it and I'm sticking with Firefox, for life :D
 
My windows 7 updates almost every day, even if it is just the windows defender definitions. At the beggining and a couple of years ago I used to check every update there was at least once a week. With nowadays connections you can put it on automatic patching and you don't even realize it in performance.
 
I also agree with mrtraver. I think their patching numbers are excessive. However, when I look at how many different apps I have on my PC - it numbers in the dozens - of course they're all going to require patching at some time or the other. There's never going to be one big "universal" patch for all applications, so it is what it is. Frankly, no different than any other product, computer or otherwise that requires regular updating.
 
There were a number of apps I came across that I don't recall its names, that claims to take the job of auto-patching most of the PC's basic applications and windows update, But I wouldn't really want to give that to an application to do it automatically for me, because I want to check preferences myself, not to mention the fact it's more likely would install it's own bloatware in the process..
 
I practiced for 20 years and I think I may be ready to declare myself a master of patch mechanisms. LOL.

The only patches I ever really manually install are the video drivers, usually thanks to a post on Techspot. Other than that its all automatic. Windows, Firefox, and the moderately useful Tech Tracker on CNET.

Now I know that some patches introduce fixes for bugs, but IMO just as many patches introduce new features and improve my computing experience. Why would I be upset that the developer of the software that I use (freeware most of that time to boot) chooses to spend time and effort to improve their product for my use?
 
Since most updates are done automatically I really don't see how 'overwhelming' or 'unreasonable' it can be for people.
 
i wish my pc was like my console. pcs are just to difficult to use. Constant patching and viruses. I hate all the hassle. Also, with my console i can play from my comfy couch. Also, im kidding im not stupid like that, patches? o noes the scare. Btw windows sucks.
 
Am I the only one not bothered by updates? It's not like a few clicks is going to ruin your day. Yes, a computer restart may be tedious, but can't you go take a piss after hitting restart? Multitasking at its finest.
 
The numbers might be exaggerated but i think the overall message is that there is the need of a patch or 'fix' quite often, well that's what I think.
 
I think the "patch every 5 days" thing is that x number of programs 1 or more will have a update for it in 5 days time, not necessarily the same program.
 
Those numbers are ridiculous. I update my system every 2-3 weeks, and sometimes even longer. I have gotten a total of maybe 3 viruses in my entire time as a PC user, and those were all MY fault, not from security breaches. So since this company obviously doesn't support Windows, what OS do they support?
 
to b honest!...
i dont think that the claim made by chief security officer SECUNIA is true at all!
yes! opera is the fastest! i was a chrome user but after using opera i have set it to my default browser! beleive me guys just use it once n u will fall in love with it!
 
hello ...

hummm torrent download OSCAR, LOL ...& some would say that it wasn't good, come on!!!

i do auto-update of everything that can & it's a good feature, but once in a while it makes things worst & have to revert back & wait till next fix.

or maybe a fix to fix the last fix!

humm, Rapportive seems a good thing to check for .. off i go then

see ya around

cheers!
 
hello ...

hummm torrent download OSCAR, LOL ...& some would say that it wasn't good, come on!!!

i do auto-update of everything that can & it's a good feature, but once in a while it makes things worst & have to revert back & wait till next fix.

or maybe a fix to fix the last fix!

humm, Rapportive seems a good thing to check for .. off i go then

see ya around

cheers!

really?...name one
 
Funny to criticize Windows, lately Firefox has been updating on a daily basis and my MacBook is bugging me with updates just as often as Windows 7 has.
 
The Secunia article is about updates in general, not just Windows. I think that just the last month I had a couple of Adobe updates (for Flash and Reader), a Java update, then there's the once a month ATI driver (granted, I don't really update it once a month). Plus Windows updates, Firefox / Thunderbird. Really, an update every 5 days isn't far fetched.

Apart from the Windows updates requiring a restart, most of them aren't a serious annoyance. But that's for me. People who aren't computer savvy are likely to not patch a lot of stuff, or indeed be confused by the various forms of updates.
 
Windows 7 here. I have automatic update enabled and hardly ever manually check to see what's been patched. I don't have a problem with Windows updates and I've never really had issues with system security in the past few years. The update process is very non-intrusive to me, and it seems like most of them are firewall related updates, which doesn't seem entirely frivolous.
 
i think update every 5 days is quite reachable, antivirus and OS updates accounts most of it... imho
 
Gotta agree with othe posts

I think the Secuina numbers don't really mean a lot. With a bunch of applications, you will have updates or patches, so what. In most cases that is done automatically with little or no user intervention. Would you rather not have the patches and have problem instead? Since most apps follow whatever schedule, updates can and will happen whenever. If you count anti-virus type updates of course it updates frequently, again does this really mean anything. One last thought, how often does Secuina update it's application?
 
I work on a lot of PCs that have viruses and although a lot of people do the MS patches they seem to forget everything else. I always seem machines with very old versions of known exploitable software like JAVA, acrobat reader, flash, etc. Windows is only one part of the system that needs to be patched.
 
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