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Zero Day

Updated Jan 30, 2024 ·

Overview​

Zero-day vulnerabilities are security flaws unknown to the vendor, exploited by attackers before a patch is available. They pose significant threats due to the absence of known fixes or mitigations.

  • Can lead to unauthorized access, data breaches, and system compromise.
  • Often targeted by advanced persistent threats (APTs) and nation-state actors.
  • Require rapid response and mitigation strategies to minimize impact.

Zero Day​

Zero day can refer to vulnerabilities, exploit, and both. In the old days, it just refers to the vulnerability itself but its also been used to refer to specific type of malware that exploits the zero-day vulnerability.

Mitigations​

  • Implement Behavior-Based Detection

    • Use IDS/IPS to identify abnormal behavior indicative of zero-day attacks.
    • Monitor network and system activity for suspicious patterns or anomalies.

  • Network Segmentation

    • Divide network into segments, limits the impact of a zero-day vulnerability.
    • Implement access controls to restrict communication between network segments.

  • Application Whitelisting

    • Allow only approved applications to run on systems
    • Reduces the attack surface for zero-day exploits.
    • Prevents the execution of unauthorized or unknown applications.
    • For more information, please see Filtering Applications

  • Endpoint Protection

    • Deploy endpoint security solutions with advanced threat detection capabilities.
    • Heuristic analysis and machine learning to detect and block zero-day attacks.

  • Patch Management

    • Robust patch management process to rapidly deploy patches once available.
    • Regular system update, reduces window of exposure to zero-day vulnerabilities.
    • For more information, please Patch Management.

  • User Training and Awareness

    • Educate users how to recognize suspicious activity.
    • Encourage reporting of unusual behavior or potential security incidents.

  • Vendor Communication

    • Communication channels with vendors to report zero-day vulnerabilities.
    • Responsible disclosure to ensure timely patch development and deployment.

  • Threat Intelligence Sharing

    • Threat intelligence sharing initiatives to stay informed about emerging zero-day threats.
    • Collaborate with industry peers and security organizations.