CompTIA CySA+ Practice Test

Regular software updates are crucial for defending against zero-day vulnerabilities, as they ensure that your systems and applications have the latest security patches implemented. Zero-day vulnerabilities refer to security flaws that are exploited by attackers before the software vendor has the opportunity to issue a fix; this means that once the vulnerability is discovered and becomes publicly known, the risk to unpatched systems increases significantly.

By consistently applying software updates, organizations can mitigate the risk by closing these vulnerabilities as they are recognized and remediated by developers. This proactive approach helps to reduce the attack surface that malicious actors can exploit. Other defenses like strong passwords, antivirus software, and firewalls are important components of an overall security strategy but do not specifically address the need for timely application of patches to defend against newly discovered vulnerabilities. Thus, without regular updates, these other measures would leave systems exposed to potentially serious threats stemming from zero-day vulnerabilities.