Betrayed by updates: How negative experiences affect future security

This paper discusses the importance of installing security-relevant software updates as a key computer protection mechanism. Interviews with non-expert Windows users revealed that negative experiences with past updates often lead users to decide against installing future updates, regardless of their importance for security. This suggests that even non-security updates can impact a computer’s security. The paper discusses three themes affecting users’ willingness to install updates: unexpected new features in an update, the challenge of determining whether an update is “worth it”, and confusion about the necessity of an update.