A zero day attacks are a design flaw, that has been left unnoticed till someone else outside the system finds and exploits the specific vulnerability.(Too delicate to be powerful)
“Basically, it leaves the developers with no time to take actions to rectify the flaw.”
What is Zero Day Attacks?
Malware creators can exploit zero-day vulnerabilities through several different attacks. Sometimes, when users visit rogue websites, malicious code on that site can exploit vulnerabilities in browsers. Web browsers are a particular target for hackers because of their widespread distribution and usage.
The malicious software takes advantage of a vulnerability to compromise a computer system or cause an unintended behavior. In most cases, a patch from the software developer can fix this.
Some of them define zero-day attacks as attacks on vulnerabilities that have not patch yet or made public, while others define as attacks that take advantage of a security vulnerability on the same day that the vulnerability becomes publicly familiar.
WHY?
Since the developers are not aware of the bug, hackers can easily create a malware and lure it into the software. Most of the hackers won’t reveal their presence in the system until they get what they needed. So it is really hard for an organization to sense it, unless damage has been made.
Mostly zero day exploits are perform at the early stage of the product. Since the product has cross all the testing phases, organization will be less aware of the vulnerabilities if it exists.
Once a hacker sets a backdoor in the website or in the software later on he/she can use it to extract valuable data after the number of users increase.
Some of the famous zero day attacks:
- 2014 Sony zero day attack.
- 2016 The DNC Hack.
- 2017 MS Word,Trojan Named Dridex.
- Zoom-Allows any website to forcibly join a user to a Zoom call, with their video camera activated, without the user’s permission.
HOW?
It is difficult to protect ourselves from zero day attacks, since they can take many forms. Almost any type of security vulnerability in our system could be exploit as a zero day if a patch is not release in time.
Many software developers intentionally try not to publicly reveal the vulnerability, if they have the hopes that they can issue a patch before any hackers discover that the vulnerability is present.
To protect yourself:
- Zero day exploits aren’t always notified publicly, but occasionally, you’ll come to know about a vulnerability that could potentially be exploit. If you stay updated to the news and if you pay attention to releases from your software vendors, you may have time to take a few security measures or take immediate action to a threat before it gets exploited.
- Developers and organizations work constantly to keep their software updated and patched to prevent the possibility of exploitation. When a vulnerability is discover, a patch would be release as soon as possible.
- However, it’s up to you and your team to make sure your software platforms are up to date at all times. The best approach here is to enable automatic updates, so your software is updated periodically, and without the need for manual updation.
Summary
As it is mentioned before, zero day attacks are too delicate to be powerful,hence people tend to take it less seriously and that is where the problem starts.
If an organization releases a software product or a website,it is necessary to check whether the end product has passed all the testing phases in order to ensure customer safety.for example banking sites,hospitals, and sites where sensitive data are involved.
The lethargic assumptions of the company may lead to great damage since these attacks can be tackled just with a simple software patch,but the response time is what matters.
In a world full of growing cyber communities and easy access to exploitation tools staying alert should be our nature.
Afraid of becoming a victim?
Zero day exploits are really a lightweight weapon and need to be treated as a serious issue.If you are an organization then you should be aware of all the possible ways in which you could be exploited.
If you are a normal user, and you are working with sensitive data with commercial software or websites then as a best practice, it is ideal to stay updated about the software issues and patches to avoid potential breakdown or system compromises.
TIP:
Check these blog sites once in a while to stay updated towards all kinds of attacks that are happening everyday.
3.https://www.darkreading.com/
4.https://www.cybersecurity-insiders.com/
5.https://www.lastwatchdog.com/
written by: D.Hari Haran
Reviewed By: Sayan Chatterjee
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