Protecting your devices
When it comes to information and technology, one of the best ways to protect your device, your data, and the University, is by staying current with the latest software updates. ITSS, in partnership with the Office of Information and Technology (OIT), continues to improve the timeliness and effectiveness of software updates, and keep your applications (like Office) and your Operating Systems (like Windows and macOS) running the latest versions.
Key changes and take-aways:
- Software updates are here to stay.
- Keeping applications and your OS up to date is important, and required.
- Keep an eye out for update notifications, and follow the prompts when you can.
- Consider uninstalling software you no longer need.
- Computers must be running a supported OS version. As of January 2025:
- macOS 13 (“Ventura”), 14 (“Sonoma”), or 15 (“Sequoia”)
- Windows 11 (Windows 10 is EOL as of October 2025)
- Devices that fall too far behind will be disabled.
Software Updates
Our computer management processes (Jamf and Active Directory) detect and distribute application updates to users as soon as possible. Software developers release updates to their applications throughout the year, so we push out updates throughout the week, all year long as well.
If you receive an alert that an update is available, we encourage you to install it as soon as it’s convenient for you.
While we are cognizant of minimizing interruptions to your work, it’s important that the process moves forward. Typically, if an update is deferred by the end user for five days, the update will start automatically.
Some applications such as Zoom, Chrome, and Office have built-in tools that facilitate automatic updates on their own. Since these applications are used broadly world-wide, they are often a prime target for bad actors looking for ways to exploit security vulnerabilities. The advice is the same: follow the prompts and update when you can.
Finally, it’s not possible to track updates for every application, so not all software is patched automatically. If you installed your own programs, check every semester or so to see if there’s a new version available, especially for software you use regularly. If you have programs installed you don’t need any more, uninstall them.
Operating Systems (OS) Updates
In recent years, OS updates occur more frequently, but are also easier, more reliable, and faster to install. As with application software, it’s important to keep your device up to date to the latest OS version available.
As technology improves, performing OS updates have become similar to application patching. You can expect to see alerts with similar options to update immediately or postpone for a short time. Once started, the system updates itself automatically, and after a restart you are back to work.
Every year new OS versions are released that include significant changes to features or the look and feel. This is typically noticeable when performing a “Major Upgrade”. For instance, for macOS this would be upgrading from 13 (“Ventura”) to 14 (“Sonoma”). For Windows, this would be upgrading from Windows 10 to 11, or in some cases even a “Feature Update” could include noticeable changes. These upgrades typically take 45-60 minutes to complete.
It is critical that devices are upgraded to supported OS versions. Completing a Major Upgrade requires your computer to meet specific system hardware requirements. If your computer cannot be updated to a supported version, it must be replaced.
Often smaller changes are released that don’t always have noticeable changes, sometimes referred to as “Minor Updates”. For instance, updating from macOS 15.1 to 15.2. These are also important, because whether updates are Major or Minor, they almost always include fixes for security vulnerabilities. In fact, some built-in software (such as Edge or Safari) typically only update along with the OS. Minor Updates typically take 15-20 minutes to complete.