PC users getting better at patching Windows

Australian PC users are becoming more diligent about patching their Windows operating systems, but usage of unpatched non-Microsoft software remains precariously high, according to Flexera Software.

The company's latest Country Report for Australia finds that just 5.9% of Australian users had unpatched Windows operating systems as of the end of the first quarter, down from 13.8% at the same time last year.

Flexera Software Director of Secunia Research Kasper Lindgaard said the study demonstrates that private users are taking OS security more seriously and installing vulnerability patches more promptly.

But the average Australian PC is likely to be running unpatched software from third-party vendors. Apple QuickTime 7.x, for example, is installed in 52% of PCs, and 63% of these installations are unpatched. Apple has now discontinued QuickTime for windows altogether.

Likewise, 40% of Java JRE installations are unpatched, and the software has a 44% market share. But Flexera notes that Oracle did recently issue a critical Java patch release so the percentage of unpatched Java programs may decline in the future.

The research shows that the average PC user in Australia has 79 programs installed from 28 different vendors. Of these, 32 are Microsoft programs.

Around 3.8% of Microsoft programs and 12.4% of non-Microsoft programs are unpatched, and 5.9% of total programs are no longer supported by the vendor.

Between April 2015 and March 2016, 21% of vulnerabilities originated from the operating system, 33% from Microsoft programs and 46% from non-Microsoft programs.

The report notes that the data relies on the state of PCs owned by users of Flexera's Personal Software Inspector, which are likely to be more secure than those of the general public.

Image courtesy of Global Panorama under CC