Ventura is the newest OS update available for Mac. Click for instructions on how to determine what Mac OS you are running.
Ventura was made available for download in Fall 2022. Click for more information and a preview of Ventura.
It is vital to keep your Mac up to date. Updates may add new features to your computer, improve power efficiency, or fix software bugs. Alongside the operating system, updating the apps on your Mac is essential to ensure everything is working as it should be.
Your machine should provide notifications for updates, but if a user needs to check for updates manually, this KB Article offers instructions on how to check your Mac for updates.
Why do an update?
Updating your device software can help improve your device security. Updates will often fix bugs, deliver new features, and protect you from security vulnerabilities. Install the latest available updates to keep your network safe and efficient.
Hackers can exploit unpatched vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access to your network or data.
1. Operating system and software updates offer tremendous benefits.
A new software version may include repairs to security holes and fixing or removing computer bugs. Updates can also add new features to your devices and remove outdated ones.
2. Updates help patch security flaws.
Hackers exploit software vulnerabilities. A software vulnerability is a security hole or weakness in a software program or operating system. Hackers can take advantage of the weakness by writing code to target the vulnerability. The code is packaged into malware — short for malicious software.
An exploit can sometimes infect your computer with no action on your part other than viewing a rogue website, opening a compromised message, or playing infected media.
What happens next? The malware can steal data saved on your device or allow the attacker to gain control over your computer and encrypt your files.
Software updates often include software patches. They cover the security holes to keep hackers out.
3. Software updates help protect your data.
You keep a lot of documents and personal information on your devices. Your personally identifiable information — from emails to bank account information — is valuable to cybercriminals.
This data can be used to commit crimes in your name, or this data can be sold on the dark web to enable others to commit crimes. If it is a ransomware attack, the hackers might encrypt your data. You might have to pay a ransom for an encryption key to get it back. Or, worse, you might pay a ransom and not get it back.
Updating your software and operating systems helps keep hackers out.
4. It is not all about you.
Cyber security is mostly about you, but you also have other people to think about. If your device gets a virus, you could pass it on to your friends, family, and business associates. That’s why you want to keep your software and systems updated.
A trusted security program can help keep your devices secure. And that can potentially help all those people you interact with online. But it’s also important to know anti-virus protection isn’t enough to protect your devices against all cyber threats.
5. You deserve the latest and greatest!
Updates not only patch security holes, but they can also add new features and improve existing ones. You don’t want to fall behind on updates.