Your computer isn't patched

Yes, you. Well, 98% of you that run Windows, anyway.

Fewer than one in 50 Windows PCs are fully patched, according to stats from users of Secunia's new patching tool, which suggest surfers are becoming even more slipshod with applying patches over the last year.

I posted about Secunia's free security tool, which will analyze your computer and tell you if you have applications that are missing security patches. They even have links for you to get the updates.

Unsurprisingly, it seems that most folks have unpatched applications:

Roughly a third (30.27 per cent) of users of the software scanner are running between one and five insecure programs, while a quarter (25.07 per cent) were caught out with between six to 10 packages that need patching on their systems. Almost half (45.76 per cent) had more than 11 insecure software packages on their computers.

So Windows users, grab a copy. Secunia's well regarded, so feel free to ignore Borepatch's Law ("Free download" is Internet speak for "open your mouth and close your eyes). In 15 or 20 minutes, you will have vastly improved your security.

And this is the first time I remember John Leyden at The Register ever recommending a security tool. So go get it.

Oh, and Mac users can stop being so smug.



Southpark Linux animations also via Leyden, so you know his head's screwed on straight.