SOFTWARE UPDATES 4.3 Access software updates in accordance with manufacturer’s recommendations and requirements 4.4 Install software updates in accordance with manufacturer’s recommendations and requirements more modern up to date revision improving process of changing Activity 1 Picture ANALYSIS How do you find the activity? Were you able to complete the activity given? How do you come up with your answer? An introduction to software updates (and why they matter) Software updates are everywhere around us, from our phones offering us security and new features to our laptop or smart TV annoying us at the worst moment. Yet, they matter more than you might think! With more and more connected devices around us, the chance that you've been hit by an update notification is high. But what do these software updates do? How do they actually work, and why are they important? What is software update and what does it do A software update (also known as patch) is a set of changes to a software to update, fix or improve it. Changes to the software will usually either fix bugs, fix security vulnerabilities, provide new features or improve performances and usability. Infrequently, patches may also be used to limit functionality, remove or disable features. Depending on the software, updates can either be installed manually or automatically if the device is connected to the internet and has the appropriate capabilities (for instance, an Android phone that updates its software on its own). Software updates are particularly important when applied to the Operating System given the reliance of other software (such as apps or drivers) on it. For example, a major release of an Operating System such as Android or iOS might render a number of apps obsolete, if all version released after the update aren't compatible with the previous version of the OS. This could prevent people from accessing important services as illustrated with some covid-19 track and track apps which were only compatible with specific versions of iOS and Android. From a security standpoint, software updates have important implications. When an update includes a fix for security vulnerabilities, any device running an out-of-date version of the software is particularly vulnerable. This allows malicious actors to know what vulnerabilities exist on a given system and, consequently, puts devices running this software (version) more at risk. For example, using an outdated version of Android (such as version 4) means that all the security vulnerabilities spotted and fixed in following versions still exist on any device that uses the older version 4. Lack of software update might also have a negative impact on a device's functionalities for example by making some its function obsolete (e.g.: a browser that do not support the latest security protocols and therefore can't display websites properly). It might also mean that identified bugs and problem might never be fixed (e.g.: poor battery). Current market practices don't impose minimum software support for a device or software version on release, meaning a device can be produced, released and sold while embeding an outdated Operating System or without offering regular software updates. This fundamentally allow manufacturers to sell devices that might become outdated and vulnerable within a couple of month of their release. This is a practice that's regularly observed which puts users' security and privacy at a very high risk. 5 Reasons why software updates are important? Software updates are necessary to keep computers, mobile devices and tablets running smoothly -- and they may lower security vulnerabilities. While threat actors continue to come up with new methods to steal information and gain access to systems, there are some simple, preventative measures to help stop them. Updating software is one such layer of protection. Here are some reasons to consider software updates as soon as possible 1. Patch security flaws Security is the No. 1 reason to update software immediately. Software vulnerabilities enable cybercriminals to access a person's computer. Threat actors see these vulnerabilities as open doors, enabling them to plant malware on people's systems. 2. Get new features Installing updates may add new features and remove old ones that are no longer necessary. Technology is constantly changing, and updates offer the latest features and improvements. 3. Protect data If a threat actor gets in through a software security flaw, they will search for personal data such as financial information, passwords, usernames or other documents with sensitive information. Threat actors access personal accounts and sell sensitive information on the dark web. Updating software to improve security vulnerabilities enables data to be better protected. 4. Improve performance Not all patches are security related. Software vendors may find bugs in a program or need to make necessary enhancements to a program. These patches help improve the performance of the software. 5. Ensure compatibility Software manufacturers send updates to ensure their software is compatible with the latest technology. Without updates, older software may not be able to work with newer technology. What is software updates? What are the 5 Reasons why do we need to update our software? Why is it important to a computer user? Assessment 1. Explain briefly your understanding what is software updates and why is it important? 2. What are the 5 reasons why do we need to update our software? What can you see in the picture? Differentiate the two pictures? Activity: Collaborate with your seatmates and answer the following question: Can a computer operates in a multiple operating system? If yes, What are the benefits of having multiple OS? Definition of Terms Virtualization-is the creation of a virtual -- rather than actual -- version of something, such as an operating system (OS), a server, a storage device or network resources. Virtual-a digitally replicated version of something real Software Virtualization – How it Works, Types, Advantages The software virtualizations are basically used to emulate a complete computer system and it further allows the operating system to run. What is Software Virtualization? In software virtualizations, an application will be installed which will perform the further task. One software is physical while others are virtual as it allows 2 or more operating system using only one computer. Virtualization relies on software to simulate hardware functionality and create a virtual computer system. This enables IT organizations to run more than one virtual system – and multiple operating systems and applications – on a single server. A virtual machine is a program you run on a computer that acts like it is a separate computer. It is basically a way to create a computer within a computer. A single physical computer can run multiple virtual machines at the same time. Often a server will use a program called a hypervisor to manage multiple virtual machines that are running at the same time. Hypervisor is the software that creates and run virtualization. It allocates the sharing of machine resources such as RAM, CPU and Storage space Benefits of Software Virtualization Testing It is easier to test the new operating system and software on VMs as it does not require any additional hardware and the testing can do within the same software. After the testing, the VM can move or delete for the further testing. Utilization In software virtualization, there is higher efficiency in resource utilization if it tunes correctly. The VM can modify as per the requirement such as the user can modify ram, drive space, etc. It requires very less amount of hardware as compared to the equivalent number of physical machines. Efficient It is efficient in a way such that it can run 12 virtual machines and eliminates the use of 12 physical boxes. This is the power cost as well as the cost of maintaining the server. Less The Downtime software is upgrading and the upgrade in the VMs can do when the VM is working. VM can modify when it is working or it is not working which means that the downtime of it is very less. Flexible It provides flexibility to the user so that the user can modify the software as per their demand. The modification can do within minutes and can adjust easily when the workload changes. Secure It can protect with many viruses. Moreover, there are several firewalls which prevent hacking and virus. The data in the software virtualization is safe as it stores in several different places so if the disaster takes place the data can retrieve easily. How Software Virtualization in Cloud Computing Works? 1. Backup With the help of software virtualization, the entire operating system or server installation can be backed up. This also benefits in a way that if the new server hack just restoring the previous version will allow running the server. 2. Run multiple operating systems The different operating system can use in a single computer with the partition in the hard drive. The only thing to keep in mind is to keep a snapshot of everything. If the data drowns, it can retrieve from some other place. 3. Running a different version of applications With the help of software virtualization new as well as the old operating system can use. So a program, if it is not working on a particular operating system, we can check it on another one. 4. Templates After the configuration of VM as per the demand, it can convert into a template and this template can use to make multiple copies of the original one. Types of Software Virtualization Operating System Virtualization Application Service Virtualization Virtualization i. In Operating System Virtualization operating system virtualization, the hardware is used which consists of software on which different operating systems work. Here, the operating system does not interfere with each other so that each one of them works efficiently. ii. Application Virtualization Application virtualization is a technology, encapsulates the computer program within the operating system. It can say that application virtualizations refer to running an application on a thin client. iii. Service Virtualization In the service virtualization, the DevOps team can use the virtual servers rather than the physical one. It emulates the behaviour of essential components which will be present in the final production environment. With the help of Software virtualizations, it is easier to set new virtual servers which benefit both the customer and the host. It also eliminates the workload of management as it can do virtually. Moreover, it helps to measure and monitor the usage and saves time. What Is a Device Driver? Device driver is a small piece of software that tells the operating system and other software how to communicate with a piece of hardware. For example, printer drivers tell the operating system, and by extension whatever program you have the thing you want to print open in, exactly how to print information on the page Sound card drivers are necessary so your operating system knows exactly how to translate the 1s and 0s that comprise that MP3 file into audio signals that the sound card can output to your headphones or speakers. The same general idea applies to video cards, keyboards, monitors, mice & disc drives How Do Device Drivers Work? Think of device drivers like translators between a program you're using and a device that program wants to utilize somehow. The software and the hardware were created by different people or companies and speak two completely different languages, so a translator (the driver) allows them to communicate. In other words, a software program can provide information to a driver to explain what it wants a piece of hardware to do, information the device driver understands and then can fulfill with the hardware. Device Drivers and Compatibility Thanks to device drivers, most software programs don't need to know how to work directly with hardware, and a driver doesn't need to include a full application experience for users to interact with. Instead, the program and driver simply need to know how to interface with each other. How to Manage Device Drivers The drivers for each piece of hardware in your Windows computer are centrally managed from Device Manager, available in all versions of Microsoft Windows. Most of the time, drivers install automatically and never need more attention, aside from the occasional updating to fix bugs or add a cool new feature. This is true for some drivers in Windows that are downloaded via Windows Update. When a manufacturer releases a driver update, it's your responsibility to install it. Some companies provide programs that will check for and install any relevant updates, but most don't make it that easy When to Update Drivers If the hardware doesn't work. If you want new features. Different Types of Device Drivers .SYS Files Windows uses .SYS files as loadable device drivers, meaning they can be loaded on an as-needed basis so they're not always taking up memory—other drivers are in the DLL or EXE format. WHQL WHQL is a testing process by Microsoft that helps prove that a particular device driver will work with a specific version of Windows. You might see that a driver you're downloading is or isn't WHQL certified. Virtual Device Drivers Another form of the driver is the virtual device driver. These usually end in the VXD file extension and are used with virtualization software. They work similar to regular drivers but in order to prevent the guest operating system from accessing hardware directly, the virtual drivers masquerade as real hardware so the guest OS and its own drivers can access hardware much like non-virtual operating systems. What's the correct way to update a device driver? To update device drivers on Windows 11 manually, Open Device Manager from the Control Panel or Windows Start menu. Next, right-click the device to update > select Update driver > Search automatically for drivers. If you need to reinstall a driver, right-click the device > Uninstall device > restart your computer. DIAGNOSTIC TOOL Computer diagnostic tools can be used to scan your computer's Hard drive, check your RAM for errors, check CPU temp and give you information about any other devices connected to your computer. These tools are made to find problems that may be disrupting your computer's normal performance. Does Windows Have a Diagnostic Tool? There are a few ways to create system diagnostics reports on Windows 10 and 11. In addition to built-in Windows options, many hardware manufacturers have troubleshooting tools, and there are also third-party apps for diagnosing computer hardware issues. How Do I Run a Diagnostic Test on My Computer? If you can't pinpoint what is wrong with your PC, start with the Windows Troubleshooter: Below are from Windows 10, but instructions apply to Windows 11 as well. On Windows 10, go to Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot. On Windows 11, go to Start > Settings > System > Troubleshoot Choose a troubleshooter for your problem. Options include Bluetooth, Keyboard, Windows Update, and Internet Connections. If the troubleshooter finds a problem, it will suggest how you can fix it. You may be able to resolve the issue by automatically repairing Windows. How to Use the Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool If your computer programs keep lagging or freezing, there could be a problem with your RAM. Your best bet is to run Windows Memory Diagnostic: There are also third-party memory test programs that may have more features than the default Windows tool. 1. Open Windows Search and enter Windows Memory Diagnostic. Select the app to open it. 2. Select Restart now and check for problems or Check for problems the next time I restart my computer. When your PC restarts, the Windows Memory tool will scan your computer. 3. After a few minutes, your PC will boot as normal. Review the results in the Event Viewer. If the troubleshooter finds any problems, take action to free up memory Windows Reliability and Performance Monitor Performance Monitor and Reliability Monitor are part of Windows administrative tools. Search for Performance Monitor or View reliability history and open the app to see statistics about how your computer is running. The Reliability Monitor keeps a log of events that may help you identify which programs are acting up Other Computer Diagnostic Tools Other ways to get help in Windows include reaching out to Windows Support with the Get Help app. You can also find plenty of free system information tools like Speccy or PC Wizard, which provide detailed diagnostic reports. There are also third-party apps for troubleshooting specific hardware like your monitor. Do your research carefully and scan anything you download for malware. Your processor and other hardware might have software for diagnosing problems. For example, the Intel Processor Diagnostic Tool can analyze and optimize Intel CPUs. Dell computers also come with their own set of diagnostic tools. Check your Programs list for other built-in troubleshooting software. How do I run Windows diagnostics on startup? In Windows Search, type msconfig and rightclick System Configuration, then select Run as Administrator. In the General tab, select Diagnostic startup. To disable the setting, go back to System Configuration and select Normal startup. How do I run hard drive diagnostics on Windows 10? You can scan your hard drive with Windows Error Checking. Go to This PC, right-click the drive and select Properties > Tools > Check > Scan drive. There are also plenty of third-party hard drive testing programs. Have you tried any of these Diagnostic Test? Why is it important to understand these diagnostic tool? In what way these understand of diagnostic tool helps you as a computer user? Performance Task: Instructions: Choose a partner and perform the following Diagnostic Test in computer using the steps we have discussed. SCORING RUBRICS: Accuracy 40 Adherence to Procedure: Time Management Workmanship 30 10 20 TOTAL 100 In computer systems, the security of data is always a major concern because there are some unidentified people(known as hackers) who always try to steal or harm the personal data or information of the users using viruses, worms, trojans, etc. So, to protect computer systems from these viruses or any other harmful activity, a software is developed and that software is known as Antivirus software. What is Antivirus Software? Antivirus software is a program(s) that is created to search, detect, prevent and remove software viruses from your system that can harm your computer system. This software is designed to be used as a proactive approach to cyber security, preventing threats from entering your computer and causing issues. Most antivirus software operates in the background once installed, providing real-time protection against virus attacks. Virus detection methods Scanning-A scanner will search all files in memory, in the boot sector (the sector on disk that specifies where boot information is,) and on disk for code snippets that will uniquely identify a file as a virus INTEGRITY CHECKING "A integrity checker records integrity information about important files on disk, usually by checksumming. If a file should "change due to virus activity or corruption, the file will no longer match the recorded integrity information HEURISTIC VIRUS CKECKING "Anti-virus software makers develop a set of rules to distinguish viruses from non-viruses." If a program or code segment should "follow these rules, then it is marked a virus and dealt with accordingly. INTERCEPTION "Interception software detects viruslike behavior and warns the user about it How Antivirus Works: Antivirus software works by comparing your computer applications and files to a database of known malware kinds. The antivirus checks files, programs, and applications going in and out of your computer to its database to identify matches. Similar and identical matches to the database are segregated, scanned, and eliminated. Examples of Antivirus: The antivirus software is available in 2 types: (i) Free: Free anti-virus software provides basic virus protection (ii) Paid: commercial anti-virus software provides more extensive protection. The following are some commonly used antivirus software: 1. Bitdefender: Bitdefender Total Security is a comprehensive security suite that protects against viruses and dangerous malware of all varieties. 2. AVAST: This is a free antivirus available. All you have to do to obtain top-notch protection on your computer, emails, downloads, and instant messages in the free version is register (for free) once a year. 3. Panda: It can detect viruses, trojans, spyware, adware, worms, and malware at the same level as other anti viruses do. It is different from others because using this software, when you scan your computer, it doesn’t consume any of your computer’s resources; instead, it runs in the cloud, allowing your machine to continue to function normally. Other examples of Anti-virus software are the following: 1. Norton 360 — Best Antivirus for Windows, Android & iOS 2. McAfee Total Protection— Best for Online Security 3. TotalAV — Best for Ease of Use (Super BeginnerFriendly) 4. Intego — Best for Comprehensive Mac Protection 5. Kaspersky Premium — Best for Online Shopping + Banking 6. Avira Prime — Best for System Optimization 7. Trend Micro — Best for Secure Web Browsing 8. Malwarebytes — Best for Basic Protection Common sources of computer virus infection Downloading programs/software from internet. Emails External devices like pen-drives Using an unknown CD to Boot data Bluetooth Cracked Software Advantages of Antivirus: Spam and advertisements are blocked: Viruses exploit pop-up advertising and spam websites as one of the most common ways to infect your computer and destroy your files. Antivirus acts against harmful virus-infected adverts and websites by denying them direct access to your computer network. Virus protection and transmission prevention: It identifies any possible infection and then attempts to eliminate it. Hackers and data thieves are thwarted: Antivirus do regular checks to see if there are any hackers or hacking-related apps on the network. As a result, antivirus offers complete security against hackers. Protected against devices that can be detached: Antivirus scans all removable devices for potential viruses, ensuring that no viruses are transferred. To improve security from web, restrict website access: Antivirus restricts your online access in order to prevent you from accessing unauthorized networks. This is done to ensure that you only visit websites that are safe and non-harmful to your computer. Password Protection: Using antivirus, you should consider using a password manager for added security DISADVANTAGES OF ANTI-VIRUS Slows down system’s speed: When you use antivirus programs, you’re using a lot of resources like your RAM and hard drive. As a result, the computer’s overall speed may be significantly slowed. Popping up of Advertisements: Apart from commercial antivirus applications, free antivirus must make money in some way. One approach to attaining these is through advertising. Security Holes: When security flaws exist in the operating system or networking software, the virus will be able to defeat antivirus protection. The antivirus software will be ineffective unless the user takes steps to keep it updated. No customer care service: There will be no customer service provided unless you pay for the premium version. If an issue arises, the only method to solve it is to use forums and knowledge resources. Steps on how to manually scan your computer systems using the windows defender Go to Settings 2. Choose Update and Security 3. Then select Windows Security 4. Select Virus and Threat Protection 5. Select Scan Options 6. Select Quick scan 7. Press Scan Now 1. What is an anti - virus software? What are the different types of anti-virus? Give an example of anti-virus software How do you manually scan your computer system using Windows defender? Where can we usually get the computer virus? How can you protect your systems from virus? How do you know your system is protected? As a student, how do you keep your computer data safe? Evaluation: Identification: 1. A program(s) that is created to search, detect, prevent and remove software viruses from your system that can harm your system. 2-3 .What are the two types of anti-virus software? 4-5 Give an example of anti-virus software