As a follow-up to last week’s article regarding the necessary updates to MacOS X and iOS devices, I am sharing some web sites and additional guidance regarding the updates based on questions that we have received.
Desktop users:
While this most recent security update only impacts version 10.9 (Mavericks) or higher, you should always keep your operating system up to date by running software update. Take a moment to do this now by clicking on the Apple Menu -> About this Macintosh, and then clicking on the Software update button. If you are running any version of 10.9, you need to be sure to upgrade to 10.9.2.
More info on the Mac OS security update is available here from Apple at: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT6150
Mac OS 10.6.x – 10.8.x users are not affected by the latest security concerns but should install the latest security updates available. Apple did release security patches for all of their operating systems last month. If you are not running 10.9 (Mavericks) and wish to upgrade, you can do so through the Mac App Store. ITS has tested it and verified that our systems on campus will work with it. Before performing this upgrade, take the time to do some research to make sure that the software you use is compatible (for example, Appleworks is not). Please also note that this upgrade takes time, so plan accordingly.
iOS users:
iOS devices running iOS 6 and iOS 7 are affected and should be updated to iOS 6.1.6 and iOS 7.0.6 respectively. (Please note the change from the previous article posted on 2/28). To update your device, open “Settings,” select “General” and then select “Software Update.”
Additional information about the iOS updates is available at:
iOS 6.1.6 http://support.apple.com/kb/HT6146
iOS 7.0.6 http://support.apple.com/kb/HT6147
Other Software:
Another piece of software that has recently been updated is Adobe Flash Player. If you are receiving prompts in your browser to update your Flash Player, exit your browser and open the System Preference control panel. In here, click on Flash Player. Under the Advanced tab, in the middle of the screen click on the “Check Now” button to make sure you are running the most recent version. The current version as of today is 12.0.0.70. Installing any Flash updates through this control panel are safe – a prompt that you receive in your web browser may not be.
You should also be running Java 7 on your computer at this time. The latest version of Java 7 can be found at: https://www.java.com/en/download/mac_download.jsp?locale=en
Submitted by Scott Clark, computer support specialist, ITS
