Microsoft has released a critical regarding a new unexploited vulnerability in various versions of Office. This critical vulnerability, named CVE-2024-38200, increases the chance of user cases of data leakage. It is spoofing where Office 2016, Office LTSC 2021, and Microsoft 365 are being affected. This type of vulnerability can be easily cracked down by criminals by designing the documents, particularly in the Office, to deceive unsuspecting users into opening them. These documents act as a backdoor once opened as they create an easy access for attackers to steal data from the system.
The lack of availability of a ready patch only aggravates the problem. Microsoft is in the process of creating a fix for Excel, but until then, organizations and businesses must take preventive measures to safeguard their valuable data. These are: increasing caution when working with Office documents received from strangers; strict compliance with the rules for email filtering; advanced protection of computer endpoints. Moreover, some measures that are useful to fight successful attacks include user education and awareness training.
This case shows that the continuous problem of protecting software despite the ever-changing environment and attackers’ sophistication. These hackers are also continuously making new ways to exploit vulnerabilities. They are inventing ways to conquer flaws more and more frequently. So, for organizations and business entities, being alert regarding cybersecurity is the best policy to follow. Reducing the risk of data breaches and the negative impact on the business’s reputation can easily be mitigated when businesses focus on creating strong security foundations, being up to date on the latest threats and ensuring that security becomes a priority across the organization.
Due to the constant evolution of the digital environment, having your data stolen is a very scary thing. Security must be looked at as a strategic operation that must be performed by organizations aiming at protecting their information and building credibility within stakeholders.
