Everyone has had this experience: you’re just starting up an important task or presentation, and an update reboot request pops up on your computer.  The best case scenario is that you have to ask it to go away for a short period, and it asks you periodically until you give up.  (I’m doing this even as I’m typing this blog post.)  The worst case scenario is that you accidentally hit “Enter” the second it pops up, and it reboots your computer immediately.

As a Managed Service Provider, we promise that we understand how irritating these pop-ups can be.  But we also promise they’re worth the frustration.  These updates contain more than small feature updates – they contain security patches to keep your company network safe.  These security patches can’t be activated until the computer is rebooted, and the only alternative we have to these pop-ups is to schedule your computer to auto-reboot.  While we can schedule that reboot to occur in the middle of the night, that can cause problems for anyone who leaves unsaved files open for the following workday.

What can happen if these patches aren’t applied?  It depends on the threat being patched.  Microsoft released a patch in March for the WannaCry exploit that hit 200,000 computers in 150 countries this week.  Networks with unpatched computers were at risk of losing all of their data; networks with computers that had all been patched were protected from this exploit.

So while we understand the frustration, please finish up your current tasks when you can and allow your computer to reboot when you see this notice.  We know it can be bothersome, but we’re pushing these updates to keep your network secure and your data safe.

Want to learn more about how network patching and monitoring can keep your company safe?  Call WingSwept at 919-779-0954 or email us at Team_WingSwept@WingSwept.com and ask about our Managed Services!