A zero day attack can happen when hackers are lucky enough to spot unpatched vulnerabilities in the system that they then exploit. The effects of such attacks can be massive especially since these attacks leave victims defenseless and even unaware that an attack is going on until substantial damage has been caused to the organization’s system.
Read on to know how to prevent this kind of attack on your organization’s system.
Updated security software
Even if you can’t update the security components of individual software, having an updated security software offers a basic layer of protection that secures the system from known and unknown threats. These can be any conventional security software packages available in the market, preferably one specifically designed for businesses or organizations since they can have different security concerns from home users. While updates can also come with security vulnerabilities, developers usually roll out corrections for the previous version and ensure that updates come with new security measures that can prevent the exploitation of exposed vulnerabilities if they do exist. Software and security patches should be kept up to date by downloading and installing the latest software releases as they come out to make the necessary security improvements to your OS.
Install safety filters to keep out untrusted software
Large organizations run the risk of using malware-riddled software when officers or employees unknowingly introduce the software to the system. This can be avoided by installing security filters that prevent unauthorized installations of unknown or unverified software, as well as the use of non-official devices that could house potential malware. Restrictions on who can install and uninstall software can be helpful in keeping security risks at bay.
Use Next-Generation Antivirus Solutions
While conventional security systems can provide basic protection, next-generation antivirus solutions can provide a higher level of security by using threat intelligence, behavioral analytics, and machine learning to identify suspicious behavior and prevent threats before they can happen. These solutions can also detect threats as they happen and block the malware from spreading to other parts of the system. While next-generation anti-virus solutions cannot detect every single instance of zero-day malware, it can significantly limit the number of attackers that can penetrate a system.
These are just three important measures that organizations need to seriously implement to avoid zero-day attacks. Paired with speedy patch management and a solid incident response plan, organizations can prevent these attacks with reliable accuracy.
