If you run Windows on your computer, you need to update your computer stat. Why is this update so urgent? It’s all due to a security flaw known as PrintNighmare. Back in May, researchers discovered security flaws in the Print Spooler service which allows a printer to be accessed by multiple computers. The researchers accidentally published the information about the security flaws. It was deleted quickly, but not quick enough. Before it was deleted, it was republished on other sites like GitHub.

Now that hackers can easily learn about the security flaws in Print Spooler, it makes it pretty easy for them to access your device that runs Windows. Not only could they view your data and even delete it, but they could also install programs and create new user accounts with full account permissions, which basically means they could take over your computer.

You have two options. Install the latest security update, or deactivate Print Spooler. Do one or the other right away to prevent hackers from accessing your computer.

If you choose to install the security update, that will solve this PrintNightmare problem as well as any other fixes that have been added.

If you don’t run Windows on your computer, then as you were, but you might want to notify your friends. It’s a pretty safe bet that you know multiple people who have Windows 10 or Windows 7 on their personal or work computers. Approximately 1.3 billion computers run Windows 10.

According to Microsoft, “Please note that not all versions of the update are available today as some packages are not quite ready for release. We feel that it is important to provide security updates as quickly as possible for systems that we can confidently protect today. Unfortunately, security updates for Windows Server 2016, Windows 10, version 1607, and Windows Server 2012 will be delayed for a short period, but they are expected soon.”

Windows 11 is currently being beta tested, and this is not currently a patch for this version of Windows; however, even though Windows is no longer providing updates for Windows 7, they have created a patch for this security flaw.

Do you run Windows on your computer? Are you going to install the latest security update?