When preparing the website security of your business, most do not think that software updates are an important matter. Older installations that still do the job are just evidence that the programs were well-designed. However, there are reasons beyond features and performance to keep your software constantly updated and equipped with the most recent security patches.

Website security is of utmost importance for any business that relies on its digital infrastructure to serve customers and run daily operations. You may not be aware, but regular updates are a critical component of the all-important security of your website.

While this may seem like just little tweaks to the UI or back-end performance, it's more than that. Regular software updates and patching are important in maintaining modern cybersecurity by closing software vulnerabilities as they are discovered.

Software vulnerabilities are weak spots in software that may become a gap in cybersecurity defenses. Hackers or their malware can exploit these vulnerabilities to put software users at risk. Of course, no piece of software is perfect, and developers often discover tiny vulnerabilities years after releasing a reliable and secure program. As soon as people share the vulnerability on the darknet, it becomes a widespread threat to everyone using the compromised program. This exploit could be turned against any of the thousands of users unless quickly patched.

Fortunately, modern software development teams are on the ball. The moment their tests or a user report reveals a security flaw, they are hard at work designing the solution. This is often what leads to the release of a new version update or even a small security patch. Updates are large changes or sets of changes that often include improvements on multiple levels of the software. A mini-update, in which the version number increments by a decimal, may contain only a few changes.

However, a security patch is a spot update that the development team releases specifically to close a recently discovered vulnerability. By always installing updates and security patches, all clients who use that same software can keep their website safe from the recently discovered exploit.

Continuing to use outdated software poses more of a risk than most businesses realize. By delaying, neglecting, or outright avoiding software updates (for one reason or another), you are putting your business at risk. Without software updates, hackers can exploit old vulnerabilities — even those already fixed — to infiltrate your computer systems and cause harm through theft, ransom, or mayhem.

Hackers can check the version of the software your company is using against their list of known exploits. Any company too behind-the-curve to have recently updated will become prey for hackers with a list of old exploits-bots to deploy.

This can lead to an unnecessarily high number of cybersecurity attacks and deep infiltration without the latest vulnerability patches and defense measures in recent updates.

Remaining up-to-date is the best way to keep your company data and website safe from cyberattacks that use old exploits. Integrating the latest software updates and seeking out security patches will ensure that your systems always share the latest defenses that your tech stack has to offer.

To achieve this, establish a routine schedule to check for updates and implement any newly released ones. A schedule ensures you never miss an update for long and have time for system upgrades at each interval.

Automation tools enable you to apply updates automatically at set intervals or as soon as they are released. However, it's best to monitor automated update tools to ensure that they take good backups just in case an automated update causes a system error.

Security patches may require more personal engagement because they do not follow predictable schedules, and different software providers share them in various ways. A live website security team can routinely identify security patches to ensure your system gets the latest updates when needed.

Of course, updates don't just apply to the systems run within the company website. You must keep every endpoint—computers, mobile devices, servers, etc.—up-to-date with the software installed on them. Because many devices are under the personal control of an employee, it's important to provide employee education on device updates. They must understand how vital it is to approve and even seek security updates for personal computers, phones, and tablets to maintain a complete, secure pipeline between endpoints and business digital assets.

Keeping your software up-to-date is not as simple as clicking a button. Sometimes, software smoothly implements its automatic updates. But sometimes, it's far more complex. Updates are a chance for things to go wrong, like data corruption and workflow changes. It's also important to plan for each major software update with backups and buffer time before implementing big changes to the company software stack.

Regular software updates are essential to maintaining business cybersecurity. The most recent updates include the most recent cybersecurity defenses to known vulnerabilities. Each security patch may fix a specific vulnerability that developers have recently discovered. Staying up-to-date with both will ensure your business remains secure using the best methods available in modern software.

Active data security can minimize the risk of successful cyber attacks. Quttera can help your business build the robust website security protocols you need to thrive. Contact us for a consultation and expert website security services.