Tier 2 : User Applications

Your software applications sit at the top-most level when it comes to execution. This means they have the least privileges of all the different tiers and are thus the last to be patched. However, they must be patched. Being the last to be patched does not mean there is any lack of necessity for patching. Their importance to the system's complete security cannot be stressed enough.

As we have seen in the Operating System section, bugs and loopholes in your software can give rise to security problems. Since there are literally millions of different software, there are no hard and fast rules here. But we have some simple guidelines.

1. All software that you install probably has updates that will make it better and more secure.
2. Check for updates on a scheduled basis. It doesn't need to be something you do every week or every month. Doing it every 3-4 months and dedicating a little of your time to downloading a few patches to keep your PC safe is a good investment.
3. If there's something wrong with your software and it's not working properly for no apparent reason, it is probably due to a bug. You should check for a patch.

Of course, there is no point for us to show you an example on how you should patch your software applications. After all, there are so many different software in the market and each have their own methods for upgrades or patches. So, the key is a little prudence and judgement.

If you have not updated your software in a while, surf to the software developer's website. Search for their Downloads or Updates section. Good developers will have regular bug patches that you can download. Even if they do not fix troublesome bugs, updates can come with new features and functionality. So, downloading and installing updates for your software is always a good idea, even if you are not facing any problems with it.

In the next section, I will show you a simple method on hunting for potential vulnerabilities in your software. It could help you in determining which of your software should be patched and perhaps should be in this section. But since it is sort of relevant to most of the sections in this guide, we thought it best for it to have its own section. Again, it is always a good idea for you to update your software, even if you are not facing problems with it.