When I was growing up, we didn’t use smart devices. Televisions, light bulbs, and even phones were basic analog equipment. If you had told my grandmother that she needed to update her TV or lightbulb, she would have assumed you meant to purchase a completely new device — not to download a software update.
However, nowadays, nearly every electronic gadget — including those lightbulbs — contains a digital circuit at its core. These digital circuits must be updated to stay compatible with changes in the ecosystem and to protect against hackers and malicious attacks.
I have never encountered anyone who enjoys performing software updates. They take time, often necessitate a reboot that might force applications to restart. Sometimes, updates alter the user interface, and at times, they can cause everything to malfunction.
Updates can also bring about incompatibilities or limit owners’ freedoms regarding how they use their devices. A recent update from prominent 3D printer manufacturer Bambu Labs has caused an uproar in the 3D printing community because it restricted the printer to using Bambu’s own slicer (the application that prepares 3D prints) and eliminated the option to use more popular and open-source slicers, effectively turning the printer into a proprietary, closed device.
So, considering that updates are often frustrating, why bother with them? Why not just let everything be? If it isn’t broken, why fix it, correct?
Well, that’s not the case — and I will explain why.
We are all interconnected.
The truth is, we no longer exist in an isolated ecosystem. The televisions, light bulbs, and phones of our grandparents’ time didn’t connect to the internet because it was nonexistent. This simple fact meant that people couldn’t communicate with those devices.
The small 15-inch TV in my parents’ bedroom was a self-contained unit. The TV could receive the three major New York City stations through its rabbit ear antennas, but that was all.
In contrast, the large Roku screen that my wife and I have in our family room is essentially a Linux machine. It comes with both an ethernet and Wi-Fi connection, can be updated, runs applications, and yes, displays advertisements. It’s not really a TV. It does not interact with over-the-air signals or a cable TV box. It merely serves as an internet terminal whose main function is to stream car shows and British cozy mysteries on the big screen.
The same is true for everything in our home. The TV, our smartphones, the microwave, the clocks, the smart assistants like Alexa, the 30 computers, the 30 desktop fabrication and filming robots, the routers, the thermostat, our virtual reality headsets, my watch, our AirPods, all our cameras, our four NAS servers, and even my latest tripod all contain processors and require regular updates.
Although these updates can be a monumental irritation, they are essential to run.
How I learned the hard way.
I didn’t always heed the advice in this article. In fact, for years, my strategy was to avoid updates until there were one or two versions released after the one I was using. I intended to wait until any bugs were resolved. But then in 2014, and again in 2016, I learned an important lesson.
In 2014, I was managing several WordPress websites. I still do, but back then, I neglected to carry out regular updates. My wife was showing our business website to a clerk at Sam’s Club while setting up a business account when she suddenly discovered explicit content on the site. Needless to say, getting a text that read, “Our website has been hijacked by offensive content,” is not something you want to receive.
I hadn’t executed any updates. I assumed the site was functioning properly, so why risk causing problems? Yet one of the plugins had a security vulnerability. Hackers gained access. They implanted malware on the site. I ended up spending a great deal of time and effort trying to clean the entire site. The experience was extremely unpleasant and labor-intensive. And, as I indicated, it was entirely my fault.
Fast forward to 2016. I used my studio weekly to conduct webcasts, which were a significant source of income for me. The webcasts were live events, with audiences online ready for our program to start. The webcasting team and I typically logged in about thirty minutes before showtime to prepare everything.
However, on a rainy day in April 2016, I found myself unable to access the webcasting software. Clients and an audience (usually over a thousand people) were waiting. As it turned out, I hadn’t updated the operating system on my studio machine. The device was old enough that Chrome suddenly stopped functioning. It was also outdated enough that Gmail and Google Calendar wouldn’t operate, even in Safari.
Google had updated all three services. The updates eliminated support for the outdated operating system on the machine. So, even though everything had worked flawlessly the previous day, thirty minutes prior to showtime, I couldn’t run any of my applications.
Thankfully, I had access to other updated computers. After approximately 20 minutes of frantic scrambling and urgent messages with my team, I managed to get online with only a few minutes remaining.
Since that time, I’ve been diligent about performing updates on time. If I may say so, I haven’t encountered any problems since.
What could go wrong, after all?
These are just a few instances of what can occur if updates are not regularly applied. Let’s quickly review some of the risks that can be mitigated by adhering to a good updating routine:
- Malware attacks: This is the main concern, which is why you should update your operating system and browser whenever prompted. Hackers attempt to introduce malware as they are always looking for vulnerabilities. Many flaws are several years old and can be prevented by the most recent updates. Neglecting updates leaves you exposed.
- Internet security threats: Hackers might target you directly or cast a broad net. Security cameras are especially at risk. Remember, hackers aren’t solely focused on financial gain. Both students and adults have been known to engage in cyberstalking by breaching inadequately updated routers to spy on innocent individuals through their webcams.
- Risk of property damage: If hackers infiltrate an unpatched router’s defenses, they could gain access to your home heating system or activate a 3D printer. While there have been very few incidences of hacking leading to fires, the risk remains.
- Being a botnet participant: One common function of malware is to turn unsuspecting users’ computers into botnet nodes. Large botnets amplify a hacker’s effectiveness, facilitating distributed denial of service attacks or extensive decryption attempts. Hosting a bot can slow down your computer, congest your internet connection, get you banned from certain sites, and potentially lead your internet service provider to terminate your service.
- Issues with compatibility: I’ll lump essential functionality loss, ecosystem changes, and urgent crises into this point. Updates ensure compatibility (unless an update breaks it, as seen in the Bambu Labs scenario).
These are just a handful of potential issues that can arise from not performing updates. I understand updates can be frustrating, and I sympathize with your pain. But it’s best to complete them anyway. Believe me; a couple of distressing days will highlight the necessity for regular updates. I’ve shared my experiences with you. Don’t find yourself waking up one day to a similar tale of woe. Those days were not enjoyable.
What about your experiences? Have you ever neglected an update and faced unforeseen consequences? Do you delay installing updates, or do you roll them out immediately? Have you ever experienced an update that caused a critical issue? What’s your biggest annoyance regarding software updates?