There are malevolent endeavors that happen with the utilization of what are known as "zero-day exploits" that launch attacks on your sensitive data and technological infrastructure. Today, we explain what a zero-day exploit is and why they are such a threat to business. 

The Kaseya ransomware attack targeting VSA servers for approximately 1,500 organizations was another notable attack in a recent string of high-profile ransomware attacks, and while most organizations did what most security professionals recommend and did not pay the ransom, others did not listen. Now those who did pay the ransom are having trouble decrypting their data, and REvil is nowhere to be found to help them in this effort.

A zero-day attack is particularly dangerous because it occurs before the software or hardware vendor is aware of it. This exploit is a vulnerability hidden in the code, unknown to the vendor, but somehow found by hackers. This means that there is no patch available to prevent the attack from occurring until the attack is already in progress. In other words, you have “zero days” from the time the vulnerability is discovered to protect against the attack: once the exploit is triggered, it’s already too late.

A new exploit is making the rounds in the security environment, and this time, it affects virtual private networks. According to Cisco, the flaw affects its Adaptive Security Appliance (ASA) tool, and it should be patched as quickly as possible. If you don’t do so, your organization could be subject to remote code exploitation as a result of this vulnerability.