Okina Dojo

According to Secunia, the typical Internet user has a dozen insecure applications on his or her computer.

Data gathered by the company indicates that PC users have, on average, 80 applications installed and that 15% of them are not up to date. Only 2% of PC users have all their applications up-to-date.

The main reason that software makers release update patches is to fix known vulnerabilities. Unpatched programs can lead to silent installations of malicious code simply by visiting a web site, opening a PDF, a movie, or other “innocently” looking file types and content.

Secunia argues that keeping programs up-to-date is more important than running antivirus software or using a firewall. Antivirus software makers and firewall vendors have a slightly different perspective.

Secunia offers free software called Secunia PSI (Personal Software Inspector). It is a free security tool designed with the sole purpose of helping you secure your computer against vulnerabilities in programs.

The Secunia Software Inspector will inspect your operating system and software for insecure versions and missing security updates. A default inspection normally lasts 5-40 seconds, while a thorough inspection may take several minutes.

The Secunia PSI detects installed software and categorises your software as either Insecure, End-of-Life, or Up-To-Date. Effectively enabling you to focus your attention on software installations where more secure versions are available from the vendors.

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