
5 Practical Strategies to Protect Infrastructure from Zero-Day Attacks
5 Practical Strategies to Protect Infrastructure from Zero-Day Attacks
A power plant or water network may seem to be running smoothly, no alarms, no alerts, but deep inside, something dangerous might already be happening. A cyber threat could be quietly making its way through the system, without leaving any obvious signs. That’s exactly what makes zero day attacks so serious. They take advantage of software bugs that developers don’t even know exist, and they often strike before anyone has a chance to react.
With critical infrastructure, like energy, water, transportation, and healthcare, becoming more reliant on digital systems, these attacks are no longer rare. They’re something we need to take seriously.
In 2024 alone, 75 new zero-day vulnerabilities were discovered, and over 40% of them affected operating systems used by both public and private sector organizations. On top of that, global infrastructure was hit by more than 420 million cyberattacks in a single year, that’s over 13 attacks per second. These numbers show just how urgent this problem is.
In this article, we’ll go over five strategies that can help protect essential systems from these hard-to-detect threats, and show how governments and organizations can be better prepared.
1-Break down the Network & Secure Entry Points
The first step is to make it harder for attackers to move around once they get in. This is done by dividing the network into smaller zones (a process known as segmentation), so a breach in one part doesn’t spread to the whole system. It’s also important to protect the most vulnerable points of access, like internet gateways or outdated systems.
Here’s what helps:
- Using layered firewalls
- Separating industrial systems (OT) from regular IT systems
- Giving staff only the access they really need
2-Use AI to Monitor Behavior, Not Just Alerts
Traditional monitoring tools can miss zero-day attacks because they often don’t trigger known alerts. AI-based behavior analysis tools, known as UEBA (User and Entity Behavior Analytics), are better at spotting unusual activity, like strange network traffic or odd application behavior.
In one real case from 2024, machine learning detected a hidden breach in a hospital’s cooling system simply by noticing an unusual spike in energy use.
3-Update Often and Test for Weak Spots
According to SecurityVulnerability.io, over 40,000 new vulnerabilities were logged in 2024, a 39% jump from the year before. That’s why organizations need to be proactive about patching and testing.
That means:
- Keeping software and systems updated.
- Running regular scans with vulnerability assessment tools.
- Running simulated attacks (penetration tests) to see how the system holds up.
4-Train People, Not Just Machines
More than 68% of cybersecurity breaches are caused by human error, like clicking on phishing links or mishandling access. This means the people inside the organization are often the weakest link, but they can also become a strong line of defense if trained properly.
Here’s what works:
- Monthly awareness sessions on current threats
- Practical training that mimics real-life scenarios
- Regular response drills to see how well teams handle incidents

5-Work Together: Government, Industry, and Standards
Defending against zero day threats isn’t something one organization can do alone. Public and private sectors need to share information about new risks and follow established security standards to respond faster and more effectively.
Some helpful frameworks include:
- The NIST Cybersecurity Framework.
- ISO/IEC 27001 for information security management.
- When organizations work together, they can respond more quickly and consistently.
Zero-day attacks don’t come with warnings. They show up quietly and often strike when no one’s watching. That’s why waiting until after something goes wrong just isn’t an option anymore.
At AGT Technology, we offer hands on cybersecurity training programs tailored to the realities of today’s threats. Our courses cover:
- How to analyze vulnerabilities
- How to handle incidents as they unfold
- Live simulations of zero day attacks in controlled environments
If your team is responsible for keeping systems safe, now is the time to act. Visit https://agt-technology.com/ to learn more and find the training that fits your organization’s needs.
Don’t wait until it’s too late. Take the first step today.
Article references:
https://cloud.google.com/blog/topics/threat-intelligence/2024-zero-day-trends
https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/data-breaches-human-error
https://eastgate-software.com/ai-in-cybersecurity-key-case-studies-and-breakthroughs/ https://www.darktrace.com/resources/state-of-ai-cyber-security-2024