In what must come as a shock to many Apple fans, a list of the most vulnerable software of 2015 was just released and Apple OS X led the pack with 384, followed closely by Apple iOS with 375.

The list includes any and all software that is installed on a computer.  A computer is defined here as any device capable of processing data.  This includes, but is not limited to, computers, PCs, smartphones, laptops, servers, tablets, etc.

Operating systems (what makes the device run – like Windows, OS X, Android, Chrome, Linux) were obviously included.

In the past, Microsoft was often been criticized for making software that was vulnerable to attacks, yet in 2015 the first Microsoft entry on the list was Internet Explorer, which has been replaced on the Windows 10 operating system by Microsoft Edge (although IE will still run on Windows 10).

Linux fans have also been big critics of Windows OSs, yet Ubuntu Linux (#11)comes in ahead of Microsoft’s first entry of a PC OS (Windows 8.1 #12).

You’ll see from the list that many programs you use on a daily basis (yet may not be aware that you’re using, since many run in the background allowing you to do certain tasks) like Adobe Flash Player (#2) and Oracle Java RE (#29).

So what exactly does this mean?  It means that you need to keep your system updated, patched, backed up and protected against vulnerabilities like malware.

All of the companies on the list release updates and patches for their software on a regular basis.  Microsoft does it on “Patch Tuesday”, the second Tuesday of the month, or, in the event of a zero-day vulnerability, they may release it sooner.

Apple has their updates, which can be installed automatically, as do Adobe and Google.

But that just addresses patches and updates.  You also need to keep your files backed up.  There are plenty of programs and services out there that help you back up, most automatically.  Don’t know if you need to backup your device?  Just ask yourself one question:  “Is there anything on this device that I can absolutely, positively not live without?”.  If the answer is Yes, then you need to have a backup.  If you’re a business, you don’t have a choice but to backup.

Everything listed is something you can do yourself and it takes only a couple of hours per month if you’re a home user.  If you’re a business user, it might require an IT professional to make sure you’re patched and backed up.  PC Medics of Alabama services both residential and business clients, so contact us today for a free estimate if you don’t want to tackle this yourself.  You can reach PC Medics of Alabama via phone at 205-201-0389 and via e-mail at info@pcmdx.net .