Know What is Zero-day & How to Defend Against it
What exactly is zero-day?
A zero-day, also known as 0-day or zero-hour or day zero, vulnerability is nothing but an undisclosed computer-software vulnerability that cyber criminals can exploit in order to adversely affect computer programs, data, additional computers or a network.
It is known as zero-day or 0-day or Zero-hour as it’s not publicly reported before becoming active, leaving the developer with zero days to create patches. From the moment it’s revealed, developers must work quickly for fixing the vulnerability as well as stopping the damage from spreading.
How can you recognize zero day exploits?
The bad news is that it is practically not possible to recognize either zero-day vulnerabilities or zero-day exploits. That is why, 0-day attacks are a severe threat. However, you are not without recourse. There are some antiviruses that can help you detect a 0-day using behavior-tracking algorithms that spot malicious or suspicious behavior.
How can you fix a zero-day vulnerability?
Fixing a 0-day vulnerability is the job of the software provider. The software provider will have to release a security patch in order to mend the hole in its software.
The easiest way to make sure that you never forget to update your software is to get an application that will be able to automatically manage your software patches.
Some major zero-day events
In January & February 2015, Adobe Flash Player was hit by a series of 0-day attacks. These attacks, which went undetected for about 2 months, subjected users to ads that led people to malware websites.
In October 2014, Microsoft Windows was hit by a series of zero-day attacks which had the capacity to allow hackers to remotely access the rights as well as privileges of online users.
In September 2013, Microsoft’s Internet Explorer was subject to a 0-day attack which had the capacity to enable hackers to control people’s computers remotely.
How can you protect yourself against 0-day?
Since 0-day attacks are highly effective against even secure networks, it is highly important for users to exercise common sense as well as practice safe computing habits like not opening attachments from any suspicious email addresses, always keeping software updated as well as installing all the latest security patches. Apart from this, a powerful antivirus software is highly important as it can help you protect against malware, spyware, viruses, ransomware as well as more that may be deployed through a 0-day vulnerability.
