Database Breached – Leaving Microsoft Source Codes Exposed
Microsoft recently confirmed an unknown number of source codes were leaked onto a repository named BetaArchive. Exposing the source codes would allow hackers to find vulnerabilities in some of Microsoft’s most trusted pieces of its operating system. Gizmodo reports,
“The Register claimed the data dump was 32 TB large, but BetaArchive tells The Verge that “the source code was just 1.2GB in size.”
Since, BetaArchive has removed the files. However, they stated they were not forced to do so my Microsoft. Therefore, the level of severity of the leak is believed to be minimal. Although, this will not deter the hackers. Cyber criminals will be looking at the source codes for vulnerabilities, and the government could be doing the same. Between the two, lucky Microsoft end-users will have new zero-day vulnerabilities to deal with.
Staying Protected
How do consumers stay protected when companies fail to keep their data secure? Two words, application whitelisting. Using a security solution that implements application whitelisting allows for only known safe programs to execute. Therefore, if hackers and/or the government find a vulnerability in systems and attempt to launch a zero-day attack, they will not be successful. This is because, every executable is scanned for security purposes. If it is not tested and proven safe, it will not run.
