Don't be Caught Off Guard by a Zero-Day Exploit
Every day, businesses face new and unknown cybersecurity threats such as those in the form of zero-day exploits. A zero-day exploit is a vulnerability that has not been publicly disclosed yet. This means that developers have little time to prepare for and protect against it. As a business, it is important to understand what zero-day exploits are and how they can impact your cybersecurity. In this article, we'll look at what zero-day exploits are, how they might impact your business, and some recent examples.
What is a zero-day exploit and why should I care about it?
A zero-day exploit is a computer security vulnerability that has not been publicly disclosed. These vulnerabilities are unknown to the software vendor and therefore, have not been fixed or patched. In many cases, the origin of the attack is not discovered for days or even weeks after the exploit. This gives the attackers an advantage, as they use the exploit before the vendor notices and before they can take the appropriate security steps such as releasing a security update. Zero-day vulnerabilities are highly sought after by cybercriminals as they can be used to exploit unsuspecting users and steal sensitive data.
There are a number of reasons why you should care about zero-day exploits. First, as mentioned, they can be used to steal sensitive data from unsuspecting users. Second, they can be used to install malware on users' devices. This malware can then be used to spy on users or steal their personal information. Finally, zero-day exploits can be used to gain access to private networks and hack into corporate or government systems.
Recent examples of zero-day exploits
Some recent examples from earlier this year in relation to zero-day vulnerabilities include multiple zero-day bugs for Microsoft and a zero-day exploit in Atlassian Confluence.
Microsoft
In a patch that was done, Microsoft found multiple bugs that had been exploited. The first bug was a Windows LSA-spoofing vulnerability that if connected to a Windows NT LAN Manager (NTLM) relay attack could allow for high-level access to privileges and could be used to authenticate to the remote server with the compromised user's privileges.
They also patched bugs related to Insight Software's Magnitude Simba Amazon Redshift ODBC Driver which could have affected multiple Microsoft services. The last zero-day is an important bug in Windows Hyper-V that could have allowed denial-of-service to users.
Atlassian Confluence
Recently, a newly discovered security flaw in Atlassian Confluence is being actively exploited by attackers, leaving servers vulnerable to a full system takeover, warns security researchers. While no sites have been impacted as of yet, the bug is a command-injection flaw that allows unauthenticated remote code execution, which means it can be exploited without requiring login credentials or user interaction. If successful, the exploit would enable attackers to collect data from the platform and use it to help them mount a ransomware attack, potentially. Luckily all customers were made aware of the situation in order to take effective measures.
How can you protect your business from zero-day exploits?
Zero-day exploits are a major threat to cybersecurity, and businesses must take steps to protect themselves from these attacks. Here are a variety of prevention practices you can put in place to help avoid a zero-day vulnerability.
Make sure that you keep your software up to date. This includes your operating system and all of your applications. Old software is much easier to break into and constantly updating can help your business run smoother in general.
Be alert to any suspicious activity on your device and report it to your IT department immediately. The faster your IT department or MSP knows about the issue, the faster they can work to recover any information and find out what happened.
Always use a strong password and never use the same password for more than one account. Proper password management might not seem like much but it takes training and diligence to break our bad password habits. These bad habits tend to make it much easier for cybercriminals to get access to valuable info, so making their job more difficult can potentially cause them to go elsewhere.
Employees should be cautioned against opening emails from unknown senders, visiting suspicious websites, or downloading software from untrustworthy sources. Proper training in cybersecurity for your team can go a very long way to preventing attacks.
Businesses should also have a comprehensive security solution in place that includes antivirus software, firewalls, and intrusion detection systems. This is a minimum level of security that all businesses need regardless of size or type of company. Attackers will go after any vulnerability they can find.
In this article, we’ve explored some of the potential impacts of a zero-day exploit on your business and how you can protect yourself against them. It’s important for companies to keep up with the latest cybersecurity news and developments so they can stay ahead of cybercriminals who are always looking for new ways to exploit vulnerabilities. Implementing strong security measures, such as firewalls, antivirus software, and intrusion detection systems is essential for protecting your business from zero-day exploits and other cyberattacks. Additionally, it’s important to create a disaster recovery plan in case your business is ever compromised by a hacker. By following these tips, you can help reduce the risk of a zero-day exploit impacting your bottom line. If you believe you've had a zero-day vulnerability or have any questions about your IT needs, contact Kotman Technology.
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