Why Does My Browser Have Updates?
For most users an update is usually a signal of new features and a change to the way something currently operates or looks visually. If you have been using the internet as long as I have, then you likely remember the AOL days and remember the journey through using AOL (Internet) Explorer throughout the different AOL versions. Today, browser updates are a lot less glamorous, as the state of the internet has somewhat peaked. The browser updates no longer mainly provide new features but moreso patch security vulnerabilities.
What Changed?
Browsers have naturally evolved and progressed incrementally over time. To quickly pinpoint the largest change, we can look back to when Google Chrome took over the browser market and became the “default” browser for most users. To simplify things a bit, essentially Google developed an open-source browser named Chromium. For context, open-source is a technical term used to mean the code is widely available and free to use by anyone. Google Chrome was built based off the Chromium project, and other browsers such as Firefox and Microsoft Edge would follow suite. This is because the Chromium project unlocked a new level for browsers which made Internet Explorer seem like a relic of the past. Chrome was a faster, more modern browser that introduced new features at a quicker rate than Internet Explorer. Additionally Chrome sparked developer interest and creativity which ultimately causes users to travel to the platforms where they can use these products. Chrome was available on more platforms and developed their extensions store which was a game changer for users and developers. Again, this is a brief explanation of what happened, I recommend you do some research on google’s rise to popularity in the Browser market when you get a chance because it is a remarkable story.
Once Google Chrome and the Chromium platform were the norm, development of tools and features at the browser level took off and resulted in where we are today. In current day, browsers include built in tools like password managers, autofill, and the ability to install extensions. These 3 features alone come with a laundry list of security chores to ensure that users are safe. This means that your browser will often need security updates as different vulnerabilities are discovered, similar to your Windows or Mac computer.
Updates are Inconvenient
Ohh I know, updates are the worst. I have my own disdain for the process as it was my job for about 3 years. I worked tirelessly overnight 4 days a week including weekends, installing updates on every Windows server owned by my job at the time. This was a high stakes, nerve inducing process that was inconvenient for the business since it meant services needed to be down to install the updates. Also, as we all know, updates can be slow, updates can fail, and devices can be sluggish or show unintended behavior following updates. As much as I hate the process of updates, I understand that they are necessary to ensure the protection of user and customer data.
What Now?
Next time you see an update for your browser, do yourself a favor and go ahead and do it. These days the browsers are able to save your work and reopen your tabs once the update is complete. Additionally since browsers are a smaller software than the operating system of your phone or computer, the update is almost instant. It should be done in around 20 seconds to 2 minutes (at the longest) in most cases.
I’m just saying…
The time you spend waiting on the update is a small price to pay to ensure your data is safe if you are using features such as password manager, or autofill to type in credit card information, phone numbers, and addresses for you. While we only focused on a few features, there is other browser functionality that can become vulnerable and pose risks. It is important to install security updates whenever available regardless of whether you currently utilize the funtionality it fixes or not.