Meltdown breaks the isolation between applications and the operating system, whereas Spectre breaks the isolation between the applications. Spectre is harder for cyber criminals to exploit, but it is also more difficult to mitigate the risks. Globally recognised hardware and software companies are now rushing to address these most recent vulnerabilities.
The vulnerabilities of both Meltdown and Spectre allow programs to access the memory and secrets of other programs. To exploit the vulnerability however, malware has to be present on the machine. In essence, this is another reminder that basic security measures such as: antivirus, antimalware, a robust patching machine and user awareness are vital. The Cyber Essentials certification is a great place to start in implementing cyber security measures.
There are a number of patches available to help protect yourself against Meltdown and Spectre, which can be found at https://meltdownattack.com along with more detailed information.
If you are a current Eventura TechCare customer, our team will be ensuring all patches are complete and up-to-date where appropriate. We are also able to provide a number of security services that help to protect you against cyber-attacks, for more information please do not hesitate to contact us.
