Time for an upgrade? Report warns outdated operating systems could be the 'unnecessary risk' your business forgot about

Date:
Mon, 06 Apr 2026 10:25:00 +0000

Description:
Outdated apps and operating systems pose serious risks - but all you have to do is install that software update.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Tech Radar Pro Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Become a Member in Seconds Unlock instant access to exclusive member features. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are
now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful Join the club Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards. Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter More than half of Macs and mobiles have critically out-of-date software installed macOS attacks are rising as are Mac shipments, amplifying the issue Software updates are designed to patch vulnerabilities Vulnerable apps and outdated operating systems could be the biggest security concerns across Mac and mobile environments, new research from Jamf has claimed.

The firm found more than half (53%) of organizations have mobile devices with critically out-of-date operating systems, and even more (58%) are running outdated macOS devices. As for the apps themselves, nearly all (95%) of the mobile apps assessed had at least one medium-severity vulnerability combined with poorly protected operating systems, this could be putting sensitive company data at risk. Article continues below You may like Workplace devices are way behind on installing the latest updates, with Windows much worse than macOS Apple pushes 'critical' software alerts to iPhones with outdated software Apple warns iOS users to urgently update their devices as new hack emerges macOS and mobile are major culprits for running dates OSs Three in five (62%) mobile apps also request potentially risky permissions, with one
in five (21%) showing "privacy-impacting behaviors."

Although the operating system or app itself might not be enough to send a company downward, these vulnerabilities combined with human risks could spell disaster a quarter of the organizations surveyed had fallen for phishing links which provide attackers with an entry point into a system.

Those vulnerabilities then enable lateral movement within a company's
systems, intensifying an attack's impacts.

Jamf also touches on the evolution of threats, with many attacks now using zero-click, browser-based or chained exploits that don't require the active participation of a victim. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features
and guidance your business needs to succeed! Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

When it comes to Macs themselves, Apple saw a 16.4% rise in shipments between 2024 and 2025 (via Omdia ) the biggest growth of any brand including Lenovo, HP, Dell and Asus. Simultaneously, more than 26,000 macOS malware samples
were identified in 2025. According to the company's research, nearly three-quarters (73%) of Macs now have at least one vulnerable app.

"Our goal with this research is to spread awareness among security leaders regarding the risks impacting their organizations," Portfolio Strategy VP Michael Covington wrote, "so that they can ensure threat detection,
compliance enforcement and response capabilities are aligned with their Mac and mobile devices."

Though Jamf's research centers around macOS and mobile, other operating systems (including Windows) are not immune from similar attacks, but thankfully one simple, effortless action could prevent a significant number
of attacks.

Keeping apps and operating systems up to date doesn't just address bugs and introduce new features it also patches vulnerabilities and flaws to maximize security. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/time-for-an-upgrade-report-warns-outdat ed-operating-systems-could-be-the-unnecessary-risk-your-business-forgot-about


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