Zero-Day Vulnerability

A Zero-Day Vulnerability is a previously unknown or unpatched security weakness in software, hardware or firmware. It is particularly critical when attackers can exploit the vulnerability before the vendor provides a security patch or another effective mitigation. An attack that actively exploits such a vulnerability is referred to as a Zero-Day Exploit or Zero-Day Attack. Because conventional security controls may not yet have specific detection signatures, identifying these attacks can be particularly challenging. Organisations can reduce their exposure through effective Vulnerability Management, up-to-date security software, network segmentation, Endpoint Detection and Response and continuous monitoring of their IT infrastructure. Once a security update becomes available, its criticality should be assessed and deployment prioritised accordingly.