Keep All Your Windows Software Updated with Secunia PSI

These days, it's imperative to keep all your software updated. Not only is it extremely important that you update your Microsoft software, but all third-party software must be kept updated as well (Adobe Reader and Flash, for example). You could open each application and look for its "Check for Updates" menu entry, but this can be time consuming. This method of updating may also miss some software. For example, you may have multiple installations of the Java JRE on your system in different locations. Many Java applications bundle their own JRE in their own directory and never update it.

What to do?

Secunia PSI (Personal Software Inspector) scans all files on your Windows system and, using Secunia's database of fingerprints, is able to determine the software versions installed on your system (including the multiple installations of Java in the example above). It then makes recommendations for any vulnerable software, including links to download the patched version of the software or to uninstall the program. I recommend switching from the default "simple" interface to the "advanced" interface to see all vulnerabilities on your system.

I've been using Secunia PSI on my personal systems for a few months now. It has saved me a lot of time in trying to keep track of all the different software versions on my systems. It also comes in quite handy when performing tech support for relatives--just install Secunia PSI and let it tell you what exactly needs to be updated.

Secunia PSI is free for personal use and I wholeheartedly recommend you try it today and see what vulnerabilities it finds on your system.