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File Sharing 101: How to Easily Share Large Files

The internet was designed to share data and facilitate communication. As technology has advanced, our computers have become more capable of generating and processing larger amounts of information. We need a modern solution to quickly, easily, and securely share files across devices. How did we end up with the rigid limitations of email attachments, and what can we do to circumvent them? 

File Sharing History

The history of file sharing is intimately attached to the history of the internet. In fact, one way to think of the internet is as an endless series of rapidly delivered packages of data. From its inception, this has been the goal of the internet.

Before we had the internet as we know it, we had an interconnected network of computers called The Advanced Research Projects Agency Network or ARPANET. ARPANET was what is referred to as a wide-area packet-switched network. Packet switching is most simply defined as the process of sending and receiving “packets” of data and “switching” or transferring them to another telecommunications device in order to bring that data closer to its intended destination. ARPANET did this at first with four computers located in universities spread between California and Utah. At the time, they used the best technology available, phone lines, and packet switching nodes called Interface Message Processors (IMPs). 

These connections began in 1969. Within a year, ARPANET made its way to the east coast of the United States, and by 1973, satellites were aiding in the process of switching packets across the Atlantic ocean. Interconnectivity, communication, and data transference quickly became a sort of modern convenience for university researchers with access to these rare, at the time, connected devices. 

The internet was born from these innovations. A growing number of computer networks were integrated through Internetworking or the process of connecting several separate networks to a larger network of interconnected networks. Eventually, in 1991 the birth of the proper internet, or a network of information that anyone could access, came out of the mind of Swiss computer programmer Tim Berners-Lee. A year after the birth of the World Wide Web, the first email attachment was sent by Nathaniel Borenstein. 

Email Attachments Today 

Nathaniel Borenstein and Ned Freed developed a protocol called Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME). MIME is still used to this day to attach and deliver email attachments. This process does well enough in many circumstances, however, in the modern age, this technology is no longer able to keep pace with the ballooning file sizes we use in our offices day to day.

MIME is a perfectly fine protocol for transferring a picture of the family at the beach or a quick PDF, but in the workplace, we are working on much more ambitious projects. Video editing packages, lossless audio formats, and massive presentation decks have been frustratingly bottle-necked by the 25-megabyte size limit even the most generous email clients provide. This chokes up the speed at which we can do work, and adds pain points to even the simplest tasks.

Security has also become a massive email attachment blind spot. The convenience of everlasting archival of our email attachments comes with a security risk that compounds with every day they wait patiently on our email servers. Personally identifying information, secret projects, and sentimental files could all be plucked from a server at a moment’s notice with time and without the proper security.

Easily Share Large Files With AXEL Go

AXEL Go is the easiest way to share large files via email or any other digital communication service. AXEL Go uses link-based file sharing, allowing direct access to an encrypted, password-protected copy of your data with no file size limit. 

Security woes are immediately solved with AXEL Go’s password-protected end-to-end encryption and customizable expiration dates. Access to data shared via AXEL Go is entirely governed by the owner of that data.

Link file sharing is the most straightforward and secure method of sharing large files via email, messaging, or text message. It’s incredibly simple to copy and paste a link into the desired method, in-browser previews save on local storage space, and allow for on-the-go review no matter what device a file has been shared to. AXEL Go’s decentralized storage method and custom expiration dates eliminate the risks that abandoned email attachments present. 

AXEL Go provides simplicity and control to the process of easily sharing large files online. 

Simplify Your Large File Sharing with AXEL Go 

AXEL Go is an incredibly versatile tool in the fight for cyber security. Implementing our decentralized, encrypted storage into a workplace will create a robust bulwark between sensitive workplace data and any clever exploits hackers can slip through the cracks.

AXEL Go is a file storage and sharing service designed to revolutionize how we think about security online. Our user experience design is focused on handing top-of-the-line security to any business of any size. Our AES-256 bit encryption and decentralized server structure thwart cyber attacks on big businesses as competently as it protects local operations. No matter how tight the budget for your practice may be, we are the perfect fit for secure, intuitive storage and file sharing. You can try AXEL Go premium for free for 14 days. See what security backed by our $10,000 guarantee can do for your business.

Web3 Beyond Crypto

Web3 has been stuck in the shadow of cryptocurrency. During the crypto crash, we have the opportunity to use Web3 technology and decentralized server structure to its fullest potential. What does Web3 look like without crypto, and how will that help us usher in a more private and secure future on the internet?

The Internet as We Know It

Web3 is the third incarnation of standard operation on the internet. The internet at its inception has been retroactively named Web 1.0. This is the most simplistic version of the internet, this era of the internet is typically associated with the 90s, limited inter-user communication, an ocean of static HTML pages, and very little user-generated content. 

Web 1.0 is where our understanding of the most basic functions of the internet comes from. Every little thing we associate with the internet from the idea of websites to usernames and passwords was built on the foundation that Web 1.0 has set for us.

Web 2.0

An internet gold rush led to the dot com bubble, a speculative bubble, similar to what we saw with cryptocurrencies and Web3, based on harnessing the commercial conveniences and innovations of the fledgling internet. When that bubble burst around the year 2000, attitudes and technologies connected to the internet began changing the way we connected our lives to the internet.

 Around 2004 began the advent of social media and portable personal devices connected to the internet at all times. User-generated content, content aggregation, and the consolidation of technology around a few major companies. Those companies are colloquially referred to as Big Tech. They’re companies like Google, Meta, and Amazon. They’re responsible for collapsing the internet down into tighter umbrellas, and their immense amount of capital and tendency to sit on the cutting edge of technology gives them a great deal of control over our current, centralized internet.

Web3

Web3 is a push towards decentralizing the internet and giving power back to users in the form of privacy and security. Web3 doesn’t aim to change the user experience of the layperson, rather, it is a push to update the protocols and infrastructure of the internet as we know it. Rather than hosting data on single servers, Web3 would host portions or entire verified copies of data in multiple locations in a process known as decentralization.

This process of sharing and verifying ledgers of information is why cryptocurrencies have latched onto the decentralized technology of Web3. The process of comparing ledgers to each other in order to agree upon a “real” state of digital information, created stability that has not existed on the internet in a widespread manner until around 2018 when more users were paying attention to cryptocurrencies.

The novelty of decentralized data structures and a desire for a Web3 proof of concept led to the rush to make money off of the new form of digital currency. This zealous push to understand Web3 created a bubble similar to the dot com bubble. 2022 has seen many cryptocurrency crashes, which is unfortunate for many early adopters, but it does create a unique opportunity for us to see what Web3 is really capable of once freed from the shadow of crypto.

Web3 Beyond Crypto

The technology that allowed for secure mining and minting of a digital currency is capable of so much more. The security that a decentralized internet provides to every user is one of the more useful applications of Web3 technology. Storage protocols like the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) when paired with high-quality encryption creates storage solutions that are nearly uncrackable via brute force. 

Websites and the internet at large can enjoy more stable and resilient servers by having backups stored across the world, easily accessible by any authorized user. When governments have restricted access to free information, Web3 servers are able to provide that information to the people. We saw this in 2017 in Turkey. Web3 servers and the ingenuity of a few people were able to circumvent these restrictions with fully-featured mirrors of Wikipedia that could not be taken down by the Turkish government because there was no single, centralized target to block.

Web3 makes bold promises that are backed up by well-established technology. All we need to do as users of the internet is pivot to making the change. AXEL Go uses IPFS, AES-256 bit encryption, and decentralized servers to securely store and share your most important and private information.

Protect Your Data with AXEL Go

AXEL Go is an incredibly versatile tool in the fight for cyber security. Implementing our decentralized, encrypted storage into a workplace will create a robust bulwark between sensitive workplace data and any clever exploits hackers can slip through the cracks.
AXEL Go is a file storage and sharing service designed to revolutionize how we think about security online. Our user experience design is focused on handing top-of-the-line security to any business of any size. Our AES-256 bit encryption and decentralized server structure thwart cyber attacks on big businesses as competently as it protects local operations. No matter how tight the budget for your practice may be, we are the perfect fit for secure, intuitive storage and file sharing. You can try AXEL Go premium for free for 14 days. See what security backed by our $10,000 guarantee can do for your business.

Your Privacy and The Internet of Things

The Internet of Things is a remarkable push to bring data collection to a broader range of devices. As technology becomes cheaper, smaller, and more powerful, the internet has found its way into unlikely places. The Internet of Things brings conveniences and insights into the lives of the layperson and the daily dealings of businesses all around the world. What can we gain from the Internet of Things? What happens when the Internet of Things turns its back on us?

What is the Internet of Things?

The Internet of Things is a distributed method of connecting mundane objects, or things, to smart devices and the internet at large. This is done by attaching sensors and transceivers to these objects and directing them to share information that may make end-user lives more convenient[1].

The classic example of an IoT-enabled device is a smart refrigerator. The utility of a refrigerator is bolstered by the inclusion of a few sensors and the ability to communicate. We can extend the lifespan of these refrigerators by predicting service needs and reporting points of failure as soon as they arise. Consumers are able to streamline their grocery shopping, saving time in their increasingly busy lives. 

The benefits of the Internet of Things on a consumer level are numerous. On a commercial grade, they are unparalleled. We can use IoT-enabled devices to drive down overhead costs by taking preventive measures when our servers and production devices ask for regular maintenance. Data points can be gathered from clients at trade shows or in our stores that can further create comfortable and lucrative transactions. Security methods such as intrusion detection and loss prevention can once again be in the hands of the business owner with IoT connectivity.

What are some common IoT Risks?

The Internet of Things relies on the deployment of additional points of internet access, a haphazard deployment of IoT-enabled devices in a workplace can result in easily-missed holes in the digital security fence of your workplace. Password protection and shoddy firmware can lead a savvy hacker directly into a company’s most private data. Ransomware attacks could ironically arrive through an unsecured security camera[2]. 

Beyond security issues, privacy itself may be at risk when adopting IoT-enabled devices. Smart doorbells, for example, give local law enforcement nearly unrestricted access to the video data passing through the connection between the camera and the end user. Bringing on a device that promises to bring the conveniences of the Internet of Things needs to be a process taken on carefully and with a careful eye on end-user agreements.

Inviting the internet into your company creates an interesting set of vulnerabilities that may not have existed before. One thing to be said about simple machines is that they are entirely secure from a digital standpoint. Adding sensors to the devices running your production infrastructure or connecting devices that previously could not communicate with the internet eventually requires more infrastructure than before.

The Internet of Things relies on edge computing solutions[3]. These are solutions that bring computing power and storage away from the cloud and closer to the place of business. This distributed method of computing brings power and stability to IoT-enabled devices, allowing them to gather and process more data without losing speed or increasing latency. Edge computing solutions come in hardware form, like additional servers, or a software form, like bespoke applications or computing protocols. By virtue of existing near your private data, these secondary computing solutions open up a workplace to cyber-attacks and privacy concerns.

How Does AXEL Go Protect You? 

The shortcomings of the Internet of Things should not scare workplaces away from the conveniences and the massive data-related insights that can come from the clever integration of sensors and transceivers. Like anything else, informed decision-making and a safety-first mindset will prevent the Internet of Things from eroding the privacy and security of a workplace.

Adding additional points of failure to a network means that a business’s privacy and security will find themselves quickly under fire. AXEL Go is a file sharing and storage service that is dedicated to protecting privacy and security wherever possible. Our decentralized server structure and cutting-edge AES 256-bit encryption offer top-of-the-line security in the face of ransomware and brute force attacks. AXEL Go also guarantees your privacy when using our IPFS servers. Only authorized users have access to the contents of your storage. Not even AXEL is able to peer into your end-to-end encrypted storage. 

As technology moves forward in innovative directions, AXEL Go is ready to provide the security and privacy required to keep making the internet a safe and convenient place. 

Try AXEL Go Today

AXEL Go is an incredibly versatile tool in the fight for cyber security. Implementing our decentralized, encrypted storage into a workplace will create a robust bulwark between sensitive workplace data and any clever exploits hackers can slip through the cracks.
AXEL Go is a file storage and sharing service designed to revolutionize how we think about security online. Our user experience design is focused on handing top-of-the-line security to any business of any size. Our AES-256 bit encryption and decentralized server structure thwart cyber attacks on big businesses as competently as it protects local operations. No matter how tight the budget for your practice may be, we are the perfect fit for secure, intuitive storage and file sharing. You can try AXEL Go premium for free for 14 days. See what security backed by our $10,000 guarantee can do for your business.

Citations

[1]Fruhlinger, Josh. 2022. “What Is Iot? The Internet Of Things Explained”. Network World. https://www.networkworld.com/article/3207535/what-is-iot-the-internet-of-things-explained.html.

[2]Iredale, Gwyneth. 2022. “Security & Privacy Issues In The Internet Of Things (Iot)”. 101 Blockchains. https://101blockchains.com/security-and-privacy-in-iot.

[3]Gold, Jon, and Keith Shaw. 2022. “What Is Edge Computing And Why Does It Matter?”. Network World. https://www.networkworld.com/article/3224893/what-is-edge-computing-and-how-it-s-changing-the-network.html.

Personal Vehicle Telematics and Privacy Oversights

Our cars are collecting data without our consent. As vehicles have become more sophisticated, tracking information via the onboard diagnostic system (OBD) and built-in GPS has become commonplace. This data is loosely regulated, and that can create a massive privacy hole for consumers. This information can be pulled by insurance companies, mechanics, and whoever else has the authority to demand information from your car. This is rapidly becoming a privacy blindspot upon which we should shine a bright light and direct legislation.

Telematics, Privacy, and Your Vehicle

Telematics is the process of sending and receiving data related to the location and destination of vehicles on the move. In the past, this was typically reserved for fleet vehicles so companies could better track and direct workers to maximize productivity and minimize fuel consumption. Today, as the technology has become more affordable and personally helpful, telematics has found its way into newer vehicles. 

On its face, this information and coordination is a boon to the automotive world. Insurance companies could identify safe drivers, cities could better direct traffic, and the days of being lost on the road could disappear into history overnight. However, like with any technology, a more pernicious reality lies just beneath the surface. If unrestricted access to telematic data is given to too many parties, the vehicles trusted to shuttle us to and from work can easily become intrusive bundles of data weaponized against the driver or any passengers they may have had. Any private activity at any time can be extrapolated from the mere presence of a vehicle. Without oversight, insurance companies, civil courts, and law enforcement will pounce on this opportunity. Hackers plucking this information from servers holding onto this data for later use can easily dangle it over the heads of their targets with frightening precision and expedience.

Buckle Up Your Data

Anybody with a car will immediately understand how much information their vehicle can reveal about them. Everything from their home address to their grocery shopping habits can easily be laid bare once someone has access to location data. This information is sensitive and woefully under-legislated. 

Telematics law is a burgeoning legal framework since the innovations leading to the technology in vehicles have only recently been regularly included in automobiles heading to market. Many states simply defer to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and its already existing rules and regulations related to buying and selling the data of internet users. Clearly, this is insufficient. Many similarities exist between internet data and the telematic information collated by a private vehicle. Still, the degree to which drivers rely on their personal vehicles is entirely unlike the relationship they may have with their smartphones. It should also be noted that the collection and distribution of this private data, in many cases, may not be as simple to opt out of as data collection on the internet. Insurance companies and their massive lobbying power are also incentivized to obscure these oversights and push for legislation that will give them broader access to a driver’s private data than they already have. 

Citizens, privacy-minded or not, should push for legislation that covers these holes in privacy law. Telematic data belongs to more than just the driver of a vehicle. Passengers, family members, and children are inextricably tied to this data once they step foot in a car. Their privacy should not be waived simply because they decided to travel inside a vehicle. 

Protecting Your Privacy

AXEL understands that privacy comes first. Without privacy in the modern era, people are subjected to undue scrutiny from bad actors. Hackers, corrupt authority figures, and competitors always look for data that will give them a leg up on their perceived enemies. Any privacy oversights left unaddressed by legislation will inevitably turn against civilians and their best interests. 

When insurance companies offer customers discounts on premiums in exchange for unfettered access to private location data, eyebrows should be raised. Massive insurance companies act to maximize their profit by any means necessary. The overreach into their customers’ personal lives is not simply a business practice that trades the right to privacy for an opportunity to deny their customers’ claims. This represents a broader trend towards the unacceptable commodification and reduction of privacy.

AXEL Go is committed to protecting the privacy of its users and the interests of the internet at large. Our end-to-end encryption, password-protected secure fetch, and decentralized server structure are engineered to provide personal privacy from every angle. AXEL Go will never request access to private data in exchange for discounts, and our servers are designed to keep prying eyes out of our client’s storage no matter what.

Create a Private Space Online

AXEL Go is an incredibly versatile tool in the fight for cyber security. Implementing our decentralized, encrypted storage into a workplace will create a robust bulwark between sensitive workplace data and any clever exploits hackers can slip through the cracks.

AXEL Go is a file storage and sharing service designed to revolutionize how we think about security online. Our user experience design is focused on handing top-of-the-line security to any size business. Our AES-256 bit encryption and decentralized server structure thwart cyber attacks on big businesses as competently as it protects local operations. No matter how tight the budget for your practice may be, we are the perfect fit for secure, intuitive storage file sharing. You can try AXEL Go premium for free for 14 days. See what security backed by our $10,000 guarantee can do for your business.

Citations

“Research Shows Data Privacy Concerns For Telematics Policies”. 2022. Actuarialpost.Co.Uk. https://www.actuarialpost.co.uk/article/research-shows-data-privacy-concerns-for-telematics-policies-18317.htm.

Leefeldt, Ed. 2022. “The Witness Against You: Your Car”. Forbes Advisor. https://www.forbes.com/advisor/car-insurance/telematics-data-privacy/.

“The Surveillance State Has Invaded Our Cars. Why Don’T We Care?”. 2022. Fast Company. https://www.fastcompany.com/90389104/the-surveillance-state-has-invaded-our-cars-why-dont-we-care.

Why IPFS is the Future of Internet Storage Systems

Let’s demystify IPFS

IPFS is a new and growing technology that underpins some of the most exciting innovations in tech since it took the stage in 2015. AXEL Go and its decentralized server structure takes full advantage of IPFS to secure your data, but how does that work? Why does AXEL Go use the IPFS protocol over something more familiar like HTTP or FTP? IPFS holds several advantages over these protocols of the past and protects our clients like nothing the internet has seen before. Join us as we take a trip into IPFS 101.

What Should You Know about IPFS?

IPFS is a distributed peer-to-peer file-sharing system that is used online to store and access anything from the most basic bit of data to personal documents and websites. It is easy to think of the InterPlanetary File System as an over-complicated, difficult-to-grasp protocol with no practical applications in the real world. This couldn’t be further from the truth. IPFS is simply the next evolution in a rapidly growing and changing internet.

In 2015, IPFS was born. At this time, a team at a company called Protocol Labs began working on a decentralized method of storing and accessing files. CEO Juan Benet and his developers worked tirelessly on the protocol, taking inspiration from other decentralized methods of sharing information, such as the BitTorrent protocol, which had been growing in popularity since 2001.

When Protocol Labs set out to develop IPFS, it initially had very little to set it apart from something like BitTorrent or similar decentralized methods of collective data storage and sharing. With time, however, IPFS set itself apart from the file sharing protocols it took inspiration from by aiming to create a decentralized global network.

How IPFS Works

IPFS is a set of rules that govern how data is shared and stored across a set of servers. A server, as defined by the IPFS protocol, can be something as complex as a server warehouse or as humble as a smartphone. What matters most to the IPFS framework is the ability to house a fragment of data for later retrieval. How does this basic framework scale up to create the framework for a distributed internet? How does IPFS differ from your standard internet protocol

The internet, as we currently understand it uses the familiar HTTP protocol. This is, at its core, a method of storing and distributing data to users, similar to how IPFS works. When a client wants to access a site or the data held on a single server, their machine sends a request, and the server on the other end replies by granting or denying access to the data requested. This method has been acceptable enough for the early days of the internet. Still, as the technology available to the layperson has grown in sheer power and accessibility, HTTP has shown its age in recent years.

Decentralization

A single server acting as a digital air traffic controller creates a great many shortfalls. The massive point of failure is most glaringly sitting right in the middle of this model. If a centralized server goes offline, be that through nefarious or benign methods, clients all over the planet will be denied access. Bad actors will take advantage of this fact when executing DDoS (distributed denial-of-service) attacks or regular infiltration attacks. When a single server is in charge of crucial data, it necessarily becomes a gleaming target for bad actors.

By taking advantage of a distributed structure, IPFS becomes exponentially more stable and secure. IPFS stores the information on multiple servers, or nodes, all around the world. This distribution increases stability by creating numerous points of access that can act as backups no matter the state of a single node. Decentralizing data in this way makes it practically impossible for bad actors to fall back on their old tricks. DDoS attacks simply will not find a foothold on a distributed internet, and grabbing ahold of the data in a single IPFS node will not give hackers enough information to decrypt.

IPFS is an internet protocol that strives for more than simply reinventing the wheel. Its structure acts as a protective layer for clients online and the internet at large. 

The Benefits of IPFS 

Beyond additional security and a significant boost to privacy, IPFS mainly sets out to do precisely what the internet does in its current state. To the average user, it may seem like nothing has changed on the surface. Still, their essential experience and expectation of the future will fundamentally change the more we as a digital community can fold IPFS into our lives.

IPFS promises to put more control into the hands of the people. In Turkey, for example, Wikipedia was blocked across the country. With the help of IPFS and decentralized storage, the people of Turkey could visit a fully-featured archive of Wikipedia’s entire wealth of knowledge. This marvel of community was made possible by IPFS and the inherent benefits of a decentralized server structure.

By creating spaces on the internet that can not be removed by knocking over a single server, millions of users can gain access to data that would otherwise fall victim to privacy overreach. Decentralized structures make it impossible to wrangle all of an entity’s data in a single place, making IPFS nodes safe to store private information. Comparing centralized servers to IPFS node structure shows us the clear advantage that IPFS has when it comes to protecting privileged information from bad actors and any interested parties for which they may be gathering this data.

Why AXEL Go Uses IPFS

AXEL Go is a decentralized storage and security service that believes in privacy above all else. AXEL Go rides the cutting–edge of technology by employing several of the most exciting innovations in computer science and data transfer protocols.

For AXEL, the InterPlanetary File System represents the next step in privacy and security online. AXEL Go uses end-to-end encryption to protect and obscure data when in transit to clients and from the decentralized nodes that make up its server structure. However, the distributed nature of these nodes provides a sizable bulk of the security and privacy once data is sitting safely on these servers.

IPFS gives AXEL the freedom to protect our clients as fiercely as possible without compromising our customers’ privacy and autonomy. The decentralized nature of our server structure means that AXEL has no control over the data our customers store on our nodes. IPFS also gives our customers peace of mind in the form of robust data backups and drastically reduced chances of server failure. The sort of centralized blackouts that would bring a service like Dropbox or Google Drive to its knees would need to happen dozens of times over before AXEL Go would feel a similar effect. 

IPFS is the server structure of the future, and AXEL is happy to take advantage of this rapidly growing technology’s security, privacy, and reliability. Together with our end-to-end encryption, secure fetch, and password-protected file-sharing sessions, AXEL Go is bringing privacy and security to the workplace one file-share at a time.

Try AXEL Go Today

AXEL Go is an incredibly versatile tool in the fight for cyber security. Implementing our decentralized, encrypted storage into a workplace will create a robust bulwark between sensitive workplace data and any clever exploits hackers can slip through the cracks.


AXEL Go is a file storage and sharing service designed to revolutionize how we think about security online. Our user experience design is focused on handing top-of-the-line security to any business of any size. Our AES-256 bit encryption and decentralized server structure thwart cyber attacks on big businesses as competently as it protects local operations. No matter how tight the budget for your practice may be, we are the perfect fit for secure, intuitive storage file sharing. You can try AXEL Go premium for free for 14 days. See what security backed by our $10,000 guarantee can do for your business.

Protecting the workplace from Day 1 Exploits

An exploit can crop up when you least expect it

There’s nothing like the feeling of picking up a new piece of tech. Fresh hardware and software always come with that new toy feeling, even if it is just a new application to keep our workplaces organized as they expand in size and scope. Adding top-of-the-line software to a machine often lends a newfound sense of security to a home office or a workplace. There are, however, unexpected downsides whenever new software or hardware is adopted. One of the most significant breaches of trust is the Day 1 exploit. When a new product or piece of hardware launches, the technology is expected to operate as intended. Unfortunately, hackers and other bad actors enjoy finding the smallest openings in the newest tech. Often a Day 1 exploit will be caught early enough for the developers to patch over the holes, but what happens when they aren’t quick enough to act? What be done as a consumer placing trust in a tech company? How do workplaces protect themselves against these exploits? 

 What is a Day 1 Exploit

A Day 1 exploit is the closest real-world hacking comes to the hacking we see in the movies. Simply put, a Day 1 exploit is an opening a hacker finds during the first day of a product’s release. These exploits can be as simple as realizing a password input prompt can be bypassed or as sophisticated as finding holes in the code after mining and reading the code that runs the software or device. The thing to realize about Day 1 exploits is that they can happen to any product upon release. These exploits crop up as a result of typical human oversight. 

In April of 2022, Apple was forced to rush out a Day 0 patch (a patch pushed out before the release of a product or service) for a potentially disastrous exploit that had been baked into their devices. The exploit in question would have given bad actors kernel access to macOS and iOS devices. Had these exploits not been found in time, then bad actors would have had complete and total control over the devices of Apple users for a distressing amount of time. The malware that could have been born out of this potential Day 1 threat would have wrested the data out of the hands of hundreds of thousands of businesses across the world. 

These security holes are found as often as new technology hits the market. What would the tech world look like had Apple not caught its oversight in time? That is the danger of the Day 1 exploit. These exploits typically give bad actors access to the deepest parts of a machine. They are particularly viscous and easy to distribute once discovered. Tech companies dedicate entire workforces to quality testing their code before allowing them to hit the digital shelves of the world because the reputation hits associated with giving hackers unfettered access to a hard drive are usually catastrophic. Day 1 and Day 0 patches are typically required installations before a user is granted permission to use for this reason. Irritating update prompts exist to protect end users from the mistakes tech companies make during development.

How to Protect Your Business From These Exploits

The unfortunate reality of Day 1 exploits is that there is no way to know when an organization will fall short on its research and development. These exploits are a phenomenon that naturally arises as a consequence of the intersection between human failure and human ingenuity. How then, are businesses able to defend against the unknowable? Protecting an organization or personal workspace from day zero exploits is a manner of understanding and implementing strong digital hygiene. 

First and foremost is creating a secure data management plan. When a workplace comes into contact with the internet, points of failure are instantly introduced into a system. The internet is a magnificent and dangerous place to work, but that danger can be easily mitigated with a few easy-to-implement best practices. One of the most popular methods of control a hacker will implement these days is the ransomware attack. The goal of a ransomware attack is to deny access to crucial information by locking users out of their own machines, and in some cases, it will involve locking down entire personal networks. 

Creating easily accessible secure backups of all of the data required for a workplace is easily the simplest and most secure method of preventing a ransomware attack. Decentralized, encrypted storage spaces are incredibly difficult to breach from the outside.  This means a successful attack on a system via a Day 1 exploit will fizzle out regardless of how successful hackers are in locking a machine out of its data. Some of the most security-minded workplaces may want to consider keeping private data off of hard drives entirely. Ransomware and other malware attacks try to pull data directly out of a machine’s memory,  the easiest way to prevent this from happening in the case of an exploit is to simply keep data from living locally. Keeping decentralized backups of crucial data will create a cloud of security that is easily accessible no matter where the point of access happens to be located.

Using encrypted methods of communication wherever possible will provide not only privacy but a digital footprint that is nearly impossible to track. Consider for a moment the difference between an email attachment and the secure fetch method provided by AXEL Go. In a workplace seized by bad actors with access to servers ripe with abandoned email attachments, these attachments can be easily cracked open and sucked dry of their private information. Secure fetch methods generate a unique sharing session with a customizable expiration date that is encrypted from end to end and may easily be password protected. Secure fetch is a file sharing method that quickly and easily allows transfer between colleagues while giving every party involved total control over their sharing session.

Try AXEL Go Today

AXEL Go is an incredibly versatile tool in the fight for cyber security. Implementing our decentralized, encrypted storage into a workplace will create a robust bulwark between sensitive workplace data and any clever exploits hackers are able to slip through the cracks.

AXEL Go is a file storage and sharing service designed to revolutionize how we think about security online. Our user experience design is focused on handing top-of-the-line security to any business of any size. Our AES-256 bit encryption and decentralized server structure thwart cyber attacks on big businesses as competently as it protects local operations. No matter how tight the budget for your practice may be, we are the perfect fit for secure, intuitive storage file sharing. You can try AXEL Go premium for free for 14 days. See what security backed by our $10,000 guarantee can do for your business.

Citations

“Blog | Day One Exploits: How To Effectively Reduce The Threat”. 2022. CIS. https://www.cisecurity.org/insights/blog/day-one-exploits-how-to-effectively-reduce-the-threat.

2022. https://www.trellix.com/en-us/security-awareness/cybersecurity/what-is-a-zero-day-exploit.html.

“What Is A Zero-Day Exploit | Protecting Against 0Day Vulnerabilities | Imperva”. 2022. Learning Center. https://www.imperva.com/learn/application-security/zero-day-exploit/.

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