Zero Day Vulnerability

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What Does Zero Day Vulnerability Mean?

A zero day vulnerability is a type of unknown or unanticipated software flaw or security hole in an IT system that can be exploited by hackers. On a given day, IT professionals may refer to a number of zero day vulnerabilities.

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Techopedia Explains Zero Day Vulnerability

The term relies on the common use of the term “zero day” to describe the first day a specific IT problem is recognized. Zero day also serves as a benchmark for addressing these kinds of software problems. In the tech world, a zero day vulnerability describes the urgency of these types of IT problems.

Typically, IT and security professionals should look for upgrades or patches that resolve zero day vulnerabilities before the fact, or alter systems to tighten data and asset security. In short, when a vendor does not provide security for an issue that is discovered and branded a zero day vulnerability, it is born into the consciousness of developers and security communities, enabling future rapid responses required by organizations for adequate network security.

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Margaret Rouse
Technology Specialist
Margaret Rouse
Technology Specialist

Margaret is an award-winning writer and educator known for her ability to explain complex technical topics to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles in the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret’s idea of ​​a fun day is to help IT and business professionals to learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.