Credit Loan > Identity Theft > The Zero Day Attack -- Protecting Yourself from Identity Theft

Identity Theft Protection

Computer security experts are getting better and better at fending off attacks by those that would commit identity theft. There is one niche, however, that cyber criminals continue to try to exploit, known as the “Zero-day attack.” Viruses, worms, spyware and trojans are all referred to under the umbrella term "Malware." Once a piece of malware is released into the wild that is the Internet at large, it takes a certain amount of time before computer security companies are able to detect, analyze and remedy the specific attack; this is known as the "Zero day."

A cyber criminal launching a new attack knows that it is likely that the new exploit has a very limited lifespan due to the responsiveness of anti-malware companies, and so is highly prepared to have a hay-day while the attack is still at its most useful, during the period of the “Zero-day attack.”

This is why it is so important to keep your anti-virus software and operating system updated on a regular basis. Anti-virus and other software companies are always on the lookout for new exploits that a cyber criminal can use to make their way into your sensitive data. Unfortunately, it is the most popular operating systems and software that are most vulnerable because cyber criminals know that concentrating their efforts there will obtain the highest yields of stolen data. No matter how good you think your security software is, it may still be vulnerable to a Zero-day attack.

Nonetheless, there are still plenty of ways to fight back. To protect yourself from identity theft you might have to consider changing the way you handle your sensitive information. The most popular operating system is Windows and the most popular web browser is Internet Explorer, which makes these systems the biggest targets for attack. Although they are becoming more popular, Apple computers are still less vulnerable than PCs ; the FireFox Web browser is less vulnerable than Internet Explorer; and Linux has to be one of the most bulletproof operating systems available-- which is one of the reasons that many Internet servers use it to run. Many Linux distributions are also free, but require a higher degree of technical expertise to utilize properly.

Even without changing your operating system or browser there are tools you can use to reduce the impact of a Zero-day attack:

• First, reduce the window in which an attack has to work by allowing your trustworthy software vendors to update their programs automatically.

• Consider turning off your computer when you are not using it. This reduces the exposure of your computer to the Internet when you are not there to observe unusual behavior.

• The easiest way to restore your computer to a pre-infected state may be to have software installed that will take it back in time to a point before it was infected. Your software vendor will be able to help you choose a solution.

• Consider encrypting your sensitive data. There are many useful software packages available to encode and password-protect your data so that even if an electronic snooper is able to gain access to your computer, all they will see is undecipherable, and therefore unusable, information.