Glossary A–ZLetter S
Security update
A security update is an update to software or firmware that closes known security flaws.
It differs from a feature update, which adds new capabilities, even though the two are often delivered together.
Several layers are affected in screen networks: the player’s operating system, the playback app, the display firmware and the management software itself. Ideally, the management software distributes updates centrally to all devices; if someone has to visit every screen with a USB stick, updates are easily left undone. From December 2027, the Cyber Resilience Act obliges manufacturers to provide security updates over a support period that is generally at least five years.
Updates should run on test devices first and then be distributed in stages. When purchasing, operators should ask until when security updates will be provided and how they reach the device. A device that still plays perfectly but no longer receives updates is a risk on the network; the decision then is whether to replace it, isolate it or switch it off. The device should check that an update is genuine by means of a signature.