More than 55 per cent of all installed PC apps are out-of-date, reveals a cybersecurity firm

According to global cybersecurity firm Avast, 55 per cent of all installed apps are antiquated, making outdated software a new normal. Avast also reveals the list of top 20 apps that it calls "horrendously outdated," the ones that should be either uninstalled or updated to their latest versions.

The report reveals software like VLC, Skype and Java are not being kept up to date. PC software like Adobe Shockwave tops the list, followed by VLC Media Player, Skype, Java Runtime Environment 6-8, 7-Zip Filemanager and more.

Having outdated software installed on a PC involves far greater security risks. Outdated apps are more susceptible to malware attacks. That's why it's always advisable to keep all your apps as well as operating system up-to-date with the latest version of software.

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"Topping the list are Adobe Shockwave and Java Runtime versions 6-8, both of which are horrendously outdated and should be either uninstalled (if not needed) or updated to the latest versions," said Avast in their 2019 PC Report.

"Our advice: Uninstall Java and see if everything still works. In many cases, you may have installed Java for an app that you don’t use anymore." Avast added.

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Avast's full list of top 20 severely outdated apps

1. Adobe Shockwave
2. VLC Media Player
3. Skype
4. Java Runtime Environment 6-8
5. 7-Zip Filemanager
6. Foxit Reader
7. Adobe Air
8. IrfanView
9. Mozilla Firefox
10. DivX Plus Web Player
11. WinZip
12. iTunes
13. Nitro PDF Professional 9
14. GOM Media Player
15. WinRAR Archiver
16. Skype 8
17. Java Runtime Environment 10
18. Nitro PDF Professional 10
19. Mozilla Thunderbird
20. Mozilla HP Photo Creations

Avast aggregated data from more than 163 million devices worldwide. The Avast report also found that 40 per cent PCs worldwide run Windows 10 operating system. So we can safely assume that Window 10 will soon overtake Windows 7 as the most used operating system worldwide.