Classroom Software IT will Update throughout the semester

Why does IT update the classroom software?

IT will push out updates to fix software bugs that may cause a loss or breach of data for anyone who utilizes the computer.

Software updates prevent issues that could allow others to access data they should not, or could prevent you from accessing data you should be able to.

Updates can help resolve potential issues like the below:

• Data Corruption
• Data Leakage
• Application Incompatibility
• Poor Accessibility

What is the classroom software update procedure?

Student Computer Support will review software utilized on 7.5% of classroom computers to verify they are patched in a manner best meeting our security requirements.
If we find the software is not meeting current security requirements we will update the software to a version that resolves the security risk over a timespan no greater than 2 weeks from the release of the patch.

We have two formats we follow when updating programs:

Automatic - The software will be deployed to the classroom each time it is updated unless we find an issue in our testing

No notice will be sent about the software updating by us.

On Demand - We will review relevant security notices and only update the software if there is a security concern that exceeds our risk threshold.

We will review the software and contact Coordinators if we must update the software for security reasons.

Where can I read more about the importance of keeping my software up to date?

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has a publication on Patch Management which details the importance and benefits of keeping software up to date.

NIST SP 800-40r3

I have a piece of software I would like updated that is not on the below list, how can I request it be updated?

Contact the Howard Community College helpdesk and request the software be updated.

Include the following details:

• Software name
• Software version to update to, or just request the latest
• Any additional settings that should be configured in the application
• Who to contact if we have questions in the future
• Any license information if applicable

List of programs monitored for updates by Student Computer Support and their update format.

* Adobe Suite has an approval process documented here