By bbr

There’s a new threat lurking on your computer that requires your immediate attention. The good news is that it’s easy to eliminate this particular problem.

QuickTime for Windows, the software that allows you to run older versions of iTunes and other Apple programs, has a pair of critical vulnerabilities that pose a real threat to the security of your data and system. What’s more, Apple is no longer updating this mostly obsolete program so it’s not going to be patched.

You no longer need QuickTime to run iTunes or ensure compatibility with other Apple processes running in a Windows environment, so it’s not going to cause you any problems when you remove it. Getting it off your computer is important, though, before hackers take advantage of the portal it offers into your system.

Get rid of QuickTime by following these simple steps:

1. From the Control Panel, select Programs
2. Click Uninstall a Program
3. Scroll down to QuickTime and click to select it
4. Choose Uninstall from the menu and click on the Yes button

This should remove the program and all its hidden files, making your PC safe from any current and future vulnerabilities in QuickTime. Be sure to perform this sequence on all your Windows machines, even those long-idle laptops and boxes that still hold important data.

Keeping all software up to date is the best way to guard against risks like this one. It’s easy to put mundane tasks like updates off day after day, ignoring the messages to save a few minutes when you’ve got better things to do. Most of us are guilty of it to some degree or another, but it’s not a good idea.

When new security risks are discovered in programs and plug-ins, updates address these threats and help keep your computer safe. Spend the time required to install updates as they are released and you’ll significantly reduce the risk of potentially devastating, costly and time-consuming security breaches.