OK, not exactly. I was looking to rhyme with “practice makes perfect” so I hope you’ll humor me, but patches make a whole-lot-closer-to-perfect, anyway.

This week’s tip is more of an overall computer security tip, not just a laptop theft tip.

Patch your Operating System. All this means, usually, is to run the automatic updates tool that comes with it. For Windows, this is built right in and the OS often nags you about it incessantly. And with Windows, which is, shall we say, “not exactly a bastion of security,” it’s all the more important to keep the system up-to-date. If you want, it can even be automatically scheduled (that’s the default).

The same is definitely true, though, for MacOS, Linux, and all others.

When exploits are found in an operating system such as Windows and attacks begin, there is no reason whatsoever not to at least have the latest updates installed. Many successful attacks are the direct result of vulnerabilities for which patches were readily available, but not installed. It’s like standing in a rainstorm getting soaked because you “didn’t bother” to take your umbrella. Umbrellas are very simple to use. So are OS updates.

This is the most basic of security tips, yet remarkably under utilized. Patch the system!