How do you keep your stuff up to date?

In a recent post by Mr. Byrne, author of Free Technology for Teachers, he asks, "Have you updated your browser lately?" On the homefront, I keep everything up to date, tinker with the new, the old, and the outdated...but at work my network is controlled. I understand why but we do not have the option of the tools used, including the selected browser.  This image displays if I check my Gmail:

This image displays if I try to access Google+ in the workplace:

But thanks to personally owned gadgets and apps, I can still access my Google products and projects when needed, while keeping OPSEC, COMPUSEC, INFOSEC, IA (and all other securities) in place.


So how do you keep "your stuff" up to date? What options do you have to make suggestions when you do not control your network management tools? Have you become technologically apathetic due to automated controls and functions? Do you have a data recovery plan in place that works? Have you tested the implementation plan that you developed or adopted?


Thanks to Mr. Richard Byrne and his awesome blog, Free Technology For Teachers for sharing his knowledge, skills, and abilities with the world, regardless of a reader's profession.


Comments, recommendations, +1s, and reaction box checks are welcome.