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Two of the most effective things you can do to keep your phone or computer safe online require almost no technical knowledge and very little time. The first is keeping your software updated. The second is understanding what antivirus protection you actually need — and what you don’t.

This is the final article in the Stay Safe module, and in many ways it’s the simplest. The habits here are small. The protection they provide is significant.

Why updates matter for security

When software developers — the people who make your phone’s operating system, your apps, or Windows — discover a security weakness in their product, they fix it and release an update. That update patches the hole.

If you decline or delay that update, the hole stays open. Criminals actively look for devices running outdated software because they know exactly which weaknesses exist and how to exploit them. An unpatched phone or computer is a known target.

This is why the advice to “keep your software updated” is not just housekeeping — it is one of the most practical security measures available, and it requires nothing more than pressing a button when prompted.

Updating your Android phone

Android phones receive two types of updates — app updates (updating individual apps like WhatsApp or your banking app) and system updates (updating the Android operating system itself). Both matter.

Updating the Android operating system:

1. Open Settings
2. Scroll down and tap Software update or System update (the wording varies by phone model)
3. Tap Download and install or Check for updates
4. If an update is available, follow the prompts to install it
5. Your phone may restart during the process — this is normal

Samsung phones often show a notification when a system update is available. When you see it, don’t dismiss it — find a moment when you don’t need your phone for 15 minutes, connect to Wi-Fi, and let it update.

Updating apps on Android:

1. Open the Google Play Store
2. Tap your profile picture at the top right
3. Tap Manage apps and device
4. If updates are available, tap Update all

Turn on automatic app updates over Wi-Fi so this happens in the background without you needing to initiate it — Play Store → tap your profile picture → Settings → Network preferences → Auto-update apps → Over Wi-Fi only.

Updating an iPhone

1. Open Settings
2. Tap General
3. Tap Software Update
4. If an update is available, tap Download and Install
5. Enter your passcode if prompted
6. Agree to the terms and wait for the update to complete

You can also enable automatic updates: Settings → General → Software Update → Automatic Updates → switch on both Download iOS Updates and Install iOS Updates.

Updating Windows on a computer

1. Click the Start button
2. Click Settings (the gear icon)
3. Click Windows Update
4. Click Check for updates
5. If updates are available, click Download and install
6. Allow the process to complete — your computer may restart

The best time to run a Windows update is when you’re done for the day. Start the update before you go to sleep and it will be complete by morning.

To ensure updates happen automatically: Settings → Windows Update → Advanced options → switch on Receive updates for other Microsoft products and confirm that automatic updates are enabled.

Do you need antivirus software?

This question causes more confusion than almost any other in everyday computing. The answer depends on what device you’re using.

On a Windows computer

Windows computers come with Windows Defender built in — a capable, continuously updated antivirus and security tool provided free by Microsoft. For the vast majority of home users, Windows Defender combined with good browsing habits provides adequate protection.

You do not need to purchase additional antivirus software. Many paid antivirus products sold to South African consumers offer marginal additional protection over Windows Defender while adding cost, slowing down your computer, and generating alarming notifications designed to encourage continued subscription.

If Windows Defender is active and your Windows software is kept updated, you have solid baseline protection.

To check that Windows Defender is active:

1. Click Start and type Windows Security
2. Open the app
3. Click Virus & threat protection
4. Confirm that real-time protection is switched On

On an Android phone

Android phones benefit from Google Play Protect — a security system built into the Google Play Store that automatically scans apps for malicious behaviour. It runs in the background without you needing to do anything.

For most users this is sufficient protection, provided you:

• Only install apps from the Google Play Store
• Never install APK files sent via WhatsApp or any other channel
• Keep Android updated

Paid antivirus apps for Android exist and some are reputable — Bitdefender and Kaspersky are well-regarded. But for a typical home user following sensible habits, the built-in protection is adequate.

On an iPhone

iPhones operate in a tightly controlled environment where apps can only be installed from Apple’s App Store. This significantly limits the ways malicious software can reach your device. Antivirus apps for iPhone exist but have very limited access to the system and provide minimal benefit over Apple’s built-in security.

Keeping iOS updated is the single most effective security measure for iPhone users.

Fake antivirus warnings — recognise the scam

This is important enough to state clearly and separately: a pop-up on a website telling you that your device has viruses is almost always a scam.

These pop-ups appear on certain websites — often news, entertainment or streaming sites — and look alarming. They may:

• Display a number of “viruses detected”
• Show a countdown timer
• Use red colours and urgent language
• Display a logo that looks like Windows, Google or a legitimate security company
• Ask you to call a number, click a link, or download software immediately

None of this is real. Your browser cannot detect viruses on your device — that is not something a webpage can do. These pop-ups are designed to frighten you into clicking, which either downloads actual malware or connects you to a fraudulent technical support line.

What to do when you see one:

1. Do not click anything inside the pop-up — including the X to close it
2. Do not call any number shown
3. Close the entire browser tab: right-click the tab at the top of the browser and select Close tab, or press Ctrl + W
4. If the pop-up has made your browser difficult to close, press Ctrl + Alt + Delete on Windows, open Task Manager, find your browser and click End Task

Your device is fine. The pop-up is the threat, not whatever it claims to have found.

A simple security checklist for your device

This summary brings together the key habits from across the entire Stay Safe module. Pin it up, take a photo, or save it somewhere you’ll find it:

Passwords:

• ✅ Strong, unique password for email — three random words plus a number
• ✅ Different password for banking app
• ✅ Passwords written in a safe, private notebook

Your devices:

• ✅ Lock screen active on phone — fingerprint or PIN
• ✅ Auto-lock set to 1 minute
• ✅ Find My Device enabled
• ✅ Windows Defender active on computer

Updates:

• ✅ Android/iPhone system updates installed promptly
• ✅ Apps set to auto-update over Wi-Fi
• ✅ Windows updates set to automatic

Online habits:

• ✅ Only download apps from Google Play Store — never APK files
• ✅ Check for padlock before entering any personal information on a website
• ✅ Never share OTPs with anyone for any reason
• ✅ Never click links in unexpected messages — go directly to the website instead
• ✅ Privacy settings reviewed on social media

If something goes wrong:

• ✅ Suspected scam → call your bank immediately on the number on the back of your card
• ✅ Device behaving strangely → restart first, ask Tina second
• ✅ Fake antivirus pop-up → close the tab, don’t click anything

Try this now

Check right now whether Windows Defender is active on your computer, or whether your Android phone has any pending system updates. Open Settings on your phone → Software update → Check for updates. If an update is available, connect to Wi-Fi and install it today. It takes 10 minutes and is one of the most genuinely useful things you can do for your device’s security.

You have completed the Stay Safe module. Well done — the habits in these five articles will protect you more effectively than any paid security product. Head back to choose your next topic, or ask Tina if you have any questions.

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