chas_m
Well-Known Member
If you are running macOS 10.11 (El Capitan) or later, there is an important security update waiting for you on the Mac App Store that addresses the Spectre and Meltdown security issues that affect the Intel chips in your Mac (and the chips on any other devices you have, regardless of manufacturer). It is important to install this upgrade ASAP, as it mitigates a major flaw in the design of the chips that could -- though the risk is low, particularly for Mac users -- expose the data on your computer to physical attacks. If your computer is too old to run El Capitan -- and that would make it quite old now -- you should replace it with something newer, preferably capable of at least running the current High Sierra (10.13) release.
Likewise, there is an iOS 11.2.5 upgrade waiting for you on your iOS devices for the same thing (also adds some other minor features, fixes, etc), and also likewise it should be installed as soon as possible. If your iOS device is too old to install iOS 11, I would strongly recommend obtaining a newer replacement unit ASAP. Yes, really. This and other recent flaws fixed in iOS 11 are too important, security-wise, to be ignored, and Apple cannot provide patches for older versions of iOS as far as I am aware, because they are "unsigned" by Apple for security reasons very shortly after the newer iOS version is released.
Likewise, there is an iOS 11.2.5 upgrade waiting for you on your iOS devices for the same thing (also adds some other minor features, fixes, etc), and also likewise it should be installed as soon as possible. If your iOS device is too old to install iOS 11, I would strongly recommend obtaining a newer replacement unit ASAP. Yes, really. This and other recent flaws fixed in iOS 11 are too important, security-wise, to be ignored, and Apple cannot provide patches for older versions of iOS as far as I am aware, because they are "unsigned" by Apple for security reasons very shortly after the newer iOS version is released.