Well, Adobe products are a security priority again. The software company released a bunch of patches this week for several products, including Adobe Acrobat. When we say “a bunch,” we do mean many and no less than 17 of them are considered security critical and need to be addressed right away. Other products included are Photoshop, Reader, Brackets, and ColdFusion. Fourteen affect Adobe Acrobat and Reader. Not to be outdone, Microsoft also released a gaggle of patches.
First, if you use any of the Adobe products, apply the updates immediately. Do this by going to Adobe’s website and checking for them for your products. Alternatively, you can reset your computer and when it reboots, it should either automatically update or let you know updates are available. The best way to handle patching any software is to turn on automatic updates.
As a reminder, Adobe and Microsoft are often used by cybercriminals to trick users into installing malicious software on their computers. So, if you see a popup about an update for a product, don’t just blindly click it. Instead, try the aforementioned approach to checking for updates. If a box just randomly pops up on your screen, it’s not a good idea to click it, even if it looks legitimate. Popups are great tools for cybercriminals. So, view them with a suspicious eye when you see them.
Microsoft also released patches this week to address 36 security vulnerabilities on various products. One was for a zero-day bug that can allow an attacker to get elevated privileges on a device. According to Kaspersky, this one has been used in Operation WizardOpium attacks.
Should any of these issues strike you, your computer will be compromised. So, beware of phishing attacks too. If you are not 100% certain a link or attachment in an email is safe, and even if you are, don’t click it without confirming it is real with the sender.
Also keep in mind that in early April of 2020, Adobe Acrobat and Reader 2015 will cease to be supported. So, if you’re using those, consider upgrading to newer versions so you can continue to receive support and patches.
For banks and credit unions
Share this article with your members
Copy a ready-made summary and link for your newsletter, website or social posts.
