What is Zero Day and How to Protect Yourself From Zero-day Attacks?

Day Zero

No software is perfect. Even though it is excellent at the function for which it was designed, there may be security vulnerabilities hidden in the code. Although software developers work overtime to resolve these issues, hackers are usually very quick to spot and take advantage of security holes. They can exploit these flaws to launch the aforementioned zero-day attacks against computers and networks, and not even the best cybersecurity solutions are able to stop them.

What is Day Zero?

In computing, the term “zero-day” (sometimes stylized in English as “0-day”) refers to the first day on which a problem is known or anticipated. The term is also used as a reference, as most security teams tend to take note of the time that has passed since an IT-related problem appeared and the day it was resolved. As such, “day zero” refers to the day on which the problem started to be addressed. The term is commonly used to describe certain cybersecurity threats - viruses, vulnerabilities, and attacks.  

A “ zero-day virus ” is a cybersecurity term used to describe a virus that has just been discovered and is not detected by any existing antivirus software. Likewise, “ zero-day malware ” refers to newly discovered malicious software, which must be studied and treated quickly. There are also zero-day worms, which can be metamorphic (those whose code is completely changed with each release) or polymorphic (those whose code is only partially changed). 

Regardless of its type, any newly discovered and unresolved cybersecurity threat can be treated as a zero-day exploit. As their name implies, these threats achieve their goal by identifying and exploiting security holes in applications, systems, and networks that have not yet been identified, documented, or reported to the public by cybersecurity experts. Often found in recently released or updated software, these flaws are also known as zero-day vulnerabilities.  

The terms "zero-day exploit" and "zero-day vulnerability" are often used interchangeably, but there is a big difference between the two. Because it refers to a cyber threat, a zero-day exploit is inherently malicious. In fact, it is usually called a " zero-day attack ", and no cyber attack is benevolent. On the other hand, the term “zero-day vulnerability” is neutral, as it can also refer to software flaws discovered and resolved by security experts before hackers had time to identify and exploit them.

What Types of Zero-day Attacks Are There?

In computing, the term “zero-day” (sometimes stylized in English as “0-day”) refers to the first day on which a problem is known or anticipated. The term is also used as a reference, as most security teams tend to take note of the time that has passed since an IT-related problem appeared and the day it was resolved. As such, “day zero” refers to the day on which the problem started to be addressed. The term is commonly used to describe certain cybersecurity threats - viruses, vulnerabilities, and attacks.  

A “ zero-day virus ” is a cybersecurity term used to describe a virus that has just been discovered and is not detected by any existing antivirus software. Likewise, “ zero-day malware ” refers to newly discovered malicious software, which must be studied and treated quickly. There are also zero-day worms, which can be metamorphic (those whose code is completely changed with each release) or polymorphic (those whose code is only partially changed). 

Regardless of its type, any newly discovered and unresolved cybersecurity threat can be treated as a zero-day exploit. As their name implies, these threats achieve their goal by identifying and exploiting security holes in applications, systems, and networks that have not yet been identified, documented, or reported to the public by cybersecurity experts. Often found in recently released or updated software, these flaws are also known as zero-day vulnerabilities.  

The terms "zero-day exploit" and "zero-day vulnerability" are often used interchangeably, but there is a big difference between the two. Because it refers to a cyber threat, a zero-day exploit is inherently malicious. In fact, it is usually called a " zero-day attack ", and no cyber attack is benevolent. On the other hand, the term “zero-day vulnerability” is neutral, as it can also refer to software flaws discovered and resolved by security experts before hackers had time to identify and exploit them.

How to Protect Yourself From Zero-day Attacks?

Since zero-day attacks exploit the previously unknown system and software vulnerabilities, there is no way to prevent them. However, there are some actions you can take to avoid falling victim to a zero-day attack. First of all, you should regularly update all applications installed on your computer. If you no longer use some programs, it is always better to remove them from your computer than to keep software out of date and potentially expose your system and files to hacker attacks.

It is also essential that you use the best antivirus software to keep your computer safe. As with most cyber threats, hackers can use zero-day exploits to install spyware, ransomware, and other types of malicious software on your computer. A good antivirus program detects all of these threats and removes them from your computer. In addition, it also provides real-time protection against other possible cyber threats and performs automatic background analyzes without slowing down your computer.