“ I got my patches out in… ”

My titles are quite good, aren’t they? When’s the last time you updated an app on your phone though? It’s quite easy to continue using our favourite apps without actually updating them. We may even make a conscious effort not to update them because we may not be feeling the new design layout and functions. I can admit there have been some updates that don’t float my boat, like the algorithm isn’t algorithiming, or the layout makes no sense; it’s just a huge mess.

Usually, when you go to update an application, you would see the new features that come with it. If you ever see *bug fixes*, just press update. Just press it. Do not even hesitate. Software bugs are flaws that cause the app to behave in a way that the developer did not intend. This can either cause the app to randomly close itself or even freeze. What’s more of a concern is a security bug, this can cause a hacker to bypass access controls like login details to perform unauthorised activities.

That may seem like a lot to download (pun hehe), but an easier way to understand it would be like jailbreaking an iPhone. Once an iPhone is jailbroken it can allow a user to do things that Apple did not intend. Still, why are patches important?

Exploits are the reason why they are important. An exploit can either be remote or local. A remote exploit works over a network whilst a local exploit requires access to the system before the exploit can be carried out. Vulnerabilities are always being discovered and developers have to regularly provide security updates to fix these holes that hackers will want to exploit. 

Patches are fine to some extent, however there are a few issues that can arise when dealing with them. As someone who has worked in vulnerability and patch management, it can be quite labouring when working with them. Firstly, the patches have to be tested before being deployed onto an application or rolled out to the public to install. During testing, patches can affect the functionality of an application and can cause it to behave unusually. 

Secondly, applying patches can be expensive and time-consuming as they’re usually done outside of working hours. If a proper plan is not in place, it would cause a huge problem due to an increase in downtime, meaning an organisation is losing money because of patching activities. For example, if a factory has to patch a machine, the machine will be unavailable for some time, which can cost millions to the company as every minute counts. For organisations, having a good patching plan can go a long way in helping keep their technology secure. So, are there any examples that affect me?

Who remembers when Apple released an update that slowed the iPhone down, they did claim it was to help ‘extend battery life’ but who knows? Have you ever performed an update that has caused your device to not perform properly? That’s one problem with patching, it can tamper with an important part of the device which a developer most likely didn’t know about. No agenda here, but this is one of the biggest issues with Android devices, seeing as there are so many of them which run the same operating system, a patch will affect each device differently. Another issue with patching is that if you don’t know a problem exists, then you can’t fix it. A developer can only work off what they can currently see. Although, it is recommended that they keep an up-to-date inventory.

Patches can be a tricky one, as I’ve said before sometimes an update can cause a bad user experience; especially for applications we use on a daily basis. If it’s a security issue they’re fixing, then my friend, you know what to do. 

‘ Tips with T ‘

– If you see bug fixes, click update  – Subscribe

Love & Guidance

TT