There are few things as scary as a cyberattack – one of them being a hack that is undetectable. German researchers have recently discovered such a threat. While the exploit has yet to be leveraged maliciously, it still illustrates that anything is possible and cybersecurity must be a top priority for businesses around the world.
Undetectable software hack underscores severity of threats
Ruhr University computer experts have discovered a way to inject harmful code into unrelated downloads. This means that a file does not have to be malicious in nature to do serious damage. Now that this backdoor has been discovered, it is likely only a matter of time before it is exploited.
"Our algorithm deploys virus infection routines and network redirection attacks, without requiring to modify the application itself," the Ruhr University group stated. "This allows to even infect executables with a embedded signature when the signature is not automatically verified before execution."
Deception is one of the greatest tools in a hacker's arsenal. By fooling unsuspecting users or altering software that has innocent intentions, cybercriminals can develop all sorts of ways to attack a potential victim. This is why security strategies have to be all-encompassing and layered with several different kinds of protection.
Faronics Deep Freeze to the rescue
While there are a number of different programs that can be leveraged in this way, the cornerstone of any strategy should be Faronics Deep Freeze. Using a reboot to restore process, employees can wipe their computers of harmful programs without losing any of their settings. Having to reapply system specifications manually is time consuming and prone to human error. But with Faronics Deep Freeze, companies can make sure that when issues inevitably creep up, they are readily handled and downtime is minimal at most.
