Everything You Need to Know About Zero-Day Exploit Attacks

In the modern world, every company depends on the internet. They are using it for delivering their services. However, this also means that they are vulnerable to cyber-attacks. There are very few malicious actors in the actual world. Thus, traditional businesses were running smoothly in the past. However, there are hundreds of cybercriminals now.

Hackers can use attacks like zero-day attacks for hacking into business networks. It is almost impossible to protect yourself from the zero-day attack. In this article, we are going to discuss the zero-day attacks.

Definition of Zero-Day Vulnerability:

A zero-day is a very unique attack. In this, the hacker will release malware before the developers even know about it. Thus, developers won’t get the chance to fix it.

Zero-day vulnerabilities are the unknown vulnerabilities in the applications. Developers are always looking for it. They will try to fix it after finding it. Also, they will release a security patch for its users. In this attack, software vendors are not proactive. They can only react to the attack.

The worst thing about this attack is that only hackers know about it. They can immediately launch an attack after finding it. However, hackers will often wait for the perfect opportunity to strike.

How do Zero-day attacks actually Work?

Zero-day attacks can work by several different mechanisms. Mostly they will try to target software with malware. This malware will integrate with the software. However, the software will still perform its normal function.

Attackers can inject malware by hiding them in website links. All you need to do click on the link. After that, it will automatically start downloading the software. These downloads mostly occur when an attacker has found a zero-day vulnerability.

For example, imagine that you are updating your web browser. You will login into a site. After that, you click on a link that you think is valid. However, the link can contain malicious code.

If your browser knows about the vulnerability, then it will stop the code from executing. However, malware can stop your browser from doing its normal function. Thus, your computer will finally execute the malicious code.

Developers will release a new security patch for dealing with this new vulnerability. However, your computer is already infected.

Who are the hackers trying to target?

Zero-day vulnerabilities mostly target governments and enterprises. For example, Stuxnet was a very famous zero-day exploit. It was trying to damage the whole Iran nuclear program. Some people think that the USA or Israel was behind this attack. Stuxnet was actually a zero-day vulnerability.

Sometimes even email software can contain zero-day vulnerabilities. Hackers can use it for exposing your employees to phishing attacks. Thus, they can easily steal your personal information. They can redirect you to your bank login page. Hence, they can even steal your credit card information.

How to protect yourself from a zero-day attack

Many companies think that they can’t protect themselves from this attack. However, this is a myth. You can use the below strategies for protecting yourself from the attack.

1. Use Good Security Software

Most people think that antivirus can protect their systems. However, it can protect you from known threats only. If the threat is unknown, then anti-virus software can’t protect you. Zero-day attacks are unknown. Thus, your normal antivirus software can’t prevent it. You should use advanced security software for protecting your system. It will protect you from unknown threats. Also, make sure to update your security software regularly.

2. Update your Security software

Vendors will take their time before disclosing that there exists a zero-day vulnerability in their software. Thus, you must always update your software. You should download security patches as soon as possible. This will help you in protecting your enterprise from recent vulnerabilities.

3. Teach Security Habits

Most zero-day exploits actually depend on human errors. For example, hackers can target their employees. They will send fake emails to your employees. These emails will actually contain malicious files. Thus, hackers can easily gain access to your network. You should teach security habits to your employees. This will ensure that they won’t click on fake emails.

4. Install Security Defenses

There are many smart security tools available in the market. Sometimes they can even block unknown threats by detecting malicious activity. These tools can correlate the data of past breaches with current threats. Thus, you should look for software that can detect both unknown and known attacks.

5. Use Web Application Firewall

Firewalls are very important for your organization. You can use web application firewalls for protecting your network from online threats. It will scan all the packets that are coming into your network. Sometimes these firewalls can detect malicious activity in your network. Thus, you can immediately remove the hackers from your network.

6. Use Content Threat Removal

This is a new type of detection technology. It will assume that all your data is dangerous. This system will first dismantle all the data. After that, it will remove the data that looks malicious.

7. Recovery Strategies

You can use the above tips for protecting your organization. However, it is impossible to stop every zero-day attack. Thus, you must always prepare for a zero-day attack.

It is important to work on a disaster recovery strategy. DR strategy will help you in mitigating the damage. You have to make sure that you have a backup of your data. In the case of a data breach, you can easily recover your data. This will ensure business continuity.

Conclusion

Every enterprise is using technology for expanding its business. However, it is important to protect yourself from hackers. Hackers can use complex attacks like zero-day attacks for getting into your network. You can use the above strategies for protecting your network. If you are using good security software, then it can help you in detecting attacks. Still, make sure that you have a DR strategy. This will ensure that you are ready for a data breach. If you need more tips regarding security, then you can contact Bleuwire.

Contact us today to learn about Bleuwire™  services and solutions in how we can help your business.