Installing patches on your personal, non-university devices is equally important for the same reasons. All those updates you get notified about in your app store on your phone or tablet are to fix known issues and bugs for better performance and user experience, as well as enhance the security of the application to protect your data and information from being stollen or compromised.  

Cybercriminals target out of date phones, tablets and computers because they are easier to break into. An unpatched or out of date devices lead to increased risks of: 

• Stolen personal or financial data 
• Account takeovers 
• Viruses, malware, or ransomware

Because the university cannot update your personal devices for you, it is your responsibility to install updates on your own devices.  Making sure you install updates on your personal devices as soon as they are available keeps your confidential information (passwords, money, identity) secure from cybercriminals, and it helps protect the university from threats, especially if you check your email or Teams on your mobile phone. The easiest way to make sure your apps are up to date is to turn on automatic updates and to restart your device if prompted, so that the new settings take effect.  

Cybersecurity is everyone’s responsibility; thank you for protecting your and the university’s information.