Does an older software program pose a security risk to my computer?
Older software can pose a security risk if it contains vulnerabilitites that have not been fixed (patched). Newer versions typically have the fixes already built in. Then again, new versions often have newer fuctionality, which means new code, which means the potential for new vulnerabilities that are yet to be discovered. So one is not necessarily better than the other. The important thing is that whatever software you install, should have all security fixes / updates done as soon as they are available. Unfortunately, many software companies stop trying to update older versions after a set period of time. Example – very soon Microsoft will issue no more security fixes for Windows 95 / 98 / ME.
