Windows 8.1 Bible

Chapter 8: Automatic Updates as Security

IN THIS CHAPTER

Using automatic updates

Activating automatic updates

Configuring updates

Using Data Execution Prevention (DEP)

Internet security is a never-ending cat-and-mouse game between the security experts and the hackers who seem to have endless amounts of time to search for new ways to exploit the basic programmability of PCs. It seems that every time the good guys find a way to patch some security hole that the bad guys have learned to exploit, the bad guys find two more holes to exploit.

Windows 8.1 is certainly the most secure Windows version ever, by a long shot. But there is no such thing as a 100 percent secure computer because people can always find a way to take something good and turn it into something bad. So, in addition to the security features discussed in the preceding chapters, you need to keep your computer up to date with security patches as they become available. That's what Windows Update and this chapter are all about.

Understanding Automatic Updates

Many people are afraid of Windows Update — they're afraid that the updates will break something on their system that they can't fix. It's certainly true that any change to your system could create a problem. But it's unlikely that keeping up with updates will cause any significant problems — certainly nowhere near as many problems as you expose yourself to by not keeping up with updates. In addition, Windows Update creates restore points before installing many updates ...