Patch Tuesday October 2019: all the chilling tech security news you need for your small business this month.
Patch Tuesday October 2019
What is Patch Tuesday? The second Tuesday of the month a lot of tech vendors like Microsoft release their security patches. Apple also releases monthly patches but the dates vary. You need these patches as almost 85% of the Internet nastiness can be stopped by keeping patches current.
Apple Ransomware Threat
Apple released an urgent update to iTunes for Windows. The updated software prevents an iPhone from infecting Windows with ransomware. You can update your iTunes from the Help menu and then click check for updates. Your iTunes version should be 12.10.1.4. iCloud for Windows was also updated.
Apple also released updates for macOS Catalina on October 7th and then a supplemental update on October 13th. Be aware if you update your mac to Catalina, you will need to upgrade a lot of your software or replace. Check your software manufacturer for compatibility before upgrading to Catalina.
iOS 13 received yet another round of updates on October 15th. Current version is now 13.1.13.
Check here for all the latest Apple updates.
Pixel Pain
Google’s Pixel 4 face lock works even when your eyes are closed. So, yes, you can be dead and someone can unlock your phone by shoving in front of your face. Not great security. Google has promised a fix in the coming months.
The Pixel also has problems with it’s fingerprint reader. Google is not doing a great job with biometric readers.
Watch for security updates for your Pixel. More on this story here.
Google released patches for all Androids October 6th. If you’re not using a Pixel phone, you have to wait for your phone manufacturer to release the patches.
Adobe Agony
Adobe normally release their updates on the second Tuesday of the month but was nothing that day. Adobe then released updates for Acrobat, Reader, and Experience Manager patching 67 flaws on October 15th.
More on the Adobe updates here.
Microsoft Mayhem
Microsoft released a patch before Patch Tuesday that was to fix an urgent flaw with Internet Explorer. However the patch broke printers for a lot of users. Judging from the clients who called me with the problem after the patch, all of them were using HP printers. Clients with other printers were not affected. I had one client where the computer had to be rebuilt.
Sometimes patches break things. It’s a choice between risking the occasional break versus the fixing security flaws that hackers will exploit.
The regular Patch Tuesday update fixed the printer mayhem as well as over 50 other security problems.
More on the Microsoft Patch Tuesday lowdown here.
An ounce of patching is cheaper than a pound of hacking.
