The term "zero-day" refers to newly discovered security vulnerabilities that hackers can exploit to attack systems. The term "zero-day" refers to the fact that the vendor or programmer only discovered recently the flaw, leaving them with "zero days" to fix it. A zero-day attack occurs when hackers take advantage of a flaw before developers can fix it.
0-day is another spelling of zero-day. The terms vulnerability, exploit, and attack are frequently used in conjunction with zero-day, and it's important to know the difference:
- A zero-day vulnerability is a flaw in software discovered by hackers before the developer is aware of it. Because vendors are unaware of zero-day vulnerabilities, no patch exists, making attacks more likely to succeed.
- A zero-day exploit is a technique used by hackers to attack systems with previously unknown vulnerabilities.
- A zero-day attack is when a zero-day exploit is used to harm or steal data from a system that has been exposed to a vulnerability.
How to Protect Yourself From Zero-Day Attacks
Because zero day attacks can take many different forms, it's difficult to protect yourself from them. If a patch is not released in a timely manner, almost any security vulnerability can be exploited as a zero day. Furthermore, many software developers try to keep the vulnerability hidden from the public eye in the hopes of being able to issue a patch before any hackers discover it.
There are several techniques you can use to protect your company from zero-day attacks:
- Keep yourself updated : Although zero-day exploits aren't always made public, you might hear about a vulnerability that could be exploited on occasion. If you keep up with the news and monitor software vendor releases, you may be able to implement security measures or respond to a threat before it is exploited.
- Maintain your systems : To avoid the possibility of exploitation, developers actively work to keep their software updated and patched. It's only a matter of time after a vulnerability is discovered before a patch is released. It is, however, your responsibility and that of your team to keep your software platforms up to date at all times. The best approach is to enable automatic updates, which will ensure that your software is updated on a regular basis without any need for manual intervention.
- Increase your security measures : Make sure you're using security solutions that protect against zero-day attacks, as these measures alone may not be enough to keep you safe from a zero-day attack.
Once a patch is written and used, the exploit is no longer called a zero-day exploit. These attacks are rarely discovered right away. In fact, it often takes not just days but months and sometimes years before a developer learns of the vulnerability that led to an attack.
