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

Software updates are more important than ever

by · TechRadar

News By Craig Hale published 6 April 2026

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

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  • More than half of Macs and mobiles have critically out-of-date software installed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.

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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.

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