If you’re not familiar with the world of technology and its terminology, hearing about a “zero-day vulnerability” or a “zero-day attack” can sound a bit scary. Don’t worry, it’s not the end of the world. While they can be prevented and may not affect most people, it’s important to understand what a zero-day vulnerability is, how you can protect yourself, and what to do if you think you’ve been affected.
Phone Problems Aren’t Just Physical Or Mechanic
Do you use antivirus or other cyber security software on your PC? You more than likely do, even if it’s the default Windows firewall or Windows Defender. It’s pretty common knowledge that a personal computer and the sensitive information it holds should have protection against viruses and other vulnerabilities.
But what about your smartphone?
According to security.org, a company focused on the review and study of cyber security and safety products, roughly 77% of adults in the US use some kind of antivirus software. Of those people, only 24% of those adults use some type of antivirus or protection software on their smartphones. That is a significant drop in unprotected smartphones which can be a big concern.
What Is Zero-Day?
You’ve probably seen article headlines and other stories about zero-day vulnerabilities. The average person probably isn’t very savvy with a lot of terminology used in technology and the cyber security world, so what does it even mean?
A zero-day vulnerability is a vulnerability in software or operating systems that was not discovered prior to being released to the public. Major companies that release major software updates and operating systems put their programs through rigorous testing to try and find any issues that need to be patched before being released to the public. They do this for not only quality control, but also for the safety and protection of its users.
Catching these vulnerabilities can be tricky. As stated previously, these are vulnerabilities that are unknown to developers and other security consultants during the development process. Cyber criminals love to take a deep dive through newly released software to uncover these unknown vulnerabilities. Once they discover it, they develop exploits and viruses that take advantage of the vulnerability for nefarious gains.
How To Protect Your Phone
Protecting yourself and personal sensitive information in this technologically advanced age is extremely important. Today, we use electronic devices like smartphones to do almost everything we used to be able to only do in person. More than likely, you’ve used your iPhone or Android device to access your bank account. You’ve also probably used it to access your personal email and for some, business emails. A lot of people used their phones to quickly pay bills, send and receive sensitive information, and more.
Before, we’ve done this a lot on desktop computers. As smartphones became more prevalent and popular, we started using those just as much if not more than our computers. But for some reason, there are significantly less people that use antivirus or cyber security software on their smartphones. As viruses, exploits, and even ransomware have become more common, it’s even more important to protect our smartphones and handheld electronic devices.
There are some simple ways you can prevent a lot of cyber security risks on your smartphone. For one, installing an efficient and trustworthy antivirus app will help to protect your phone. Most commonly, these programs will automatically scan anything you open or try to download. These programs have been known to detect threats before they even get onto your device.
About to download a cool looking new app? You might want to verify some information first. To start, who is the app developer? Are they a well known developer that is also trusted? It’s easy to forget that just about anyone can actually put their apps on a marketplace like the Apple Store or Google Play Store.
You should also keep your smartphone updated. Even if a zero-day vulnerability is discovered and quickly patched, the developer still has to push out an update to users who have downloaded their app or are currently using their operating system. If you don’t download the update, you don’t get the critical patch for vulnerabilities.
iPhone And Android Phone Repair In Keller
Oasis Savvy is dedicated to keeping your iPhone and Android smartphones functioning at peak efficiency. From broken screens to damaged phone parts, we provide the best smartphone and tablet repairs in the Keller, Texas, area. If you need any smartphone repairs, or you think your phone may be affected by suspicious programs or apps, stop by our store today.
