If you’re keeping up with cybersecurity news, chances are you’ve heard the term “zero-day exploits”. But what does it actually mean for businesses?
In simplest terms, a zero-day vulnerability is a flaw in a company’s software or hardware that hackers can exploit to gain access to their network or cause other damage. Oftentimes these vulnerabilities aren’t identified right away, and in several cases, they are only identified after they’ve been exploited by attackers. When these vulnerabilities are identified, developers must quickly patch these flaws before significant damage is done, but this can take time before being successfully completed.
And as the cyber threat continues to increase, attackers are now exploiting these vulnerabilities faster than ever, often within one week of being identified.
This is the typical timeline for a zero-day exploit:
- Software is developed with an unknown vulnerability
- A hacker notices the vulnerability before the company is aware of the need for a fix
- The attacker writers code to quickly exploit the vulnerability
- They then release the exploit publicly
- Companies or developers become aware of the exploit, quickly working on a patch
Are your systems fully up to date and patched to protect against zero-day exploits? Contact us to learn more about our managed services to ensure your system is protected.
