Experts have found vulnerabilities in three drivers which attack the central component of Windows which could make PCs and laptops easy to hack.

The issue was spotted in signed kernel drivers, after hundreds of tests. These are mostly exploited by game cheat developers to circumvent anti-cheat mechanisms.

But they have also been used by several advanced persistent threat groups and in malware that’s easily available.

Although there are several mechanisms employed by the CPU and/or the operating system, most of them can be bypassed with some clever techniques and are not very effective if the attacker prepares ahead of time.

Experts have detailed several known cyber threats that have made use of the malicious technique, dubbed Bring Your Own Vulnerable Driver (BYOVD). These include:

Slingshot, InvisiMole and RobbinHood.

Microsoft is "trying to strengthen the operating system from the inside,' experts say.

For guidance and information on online crime and fraud speak to a member of the NEBRC today. We offer impartial support to businesses across the north east region as part of a national police-led programme. Your cyber safety is our first priority. We are here to help you. Speak to us today on enquiries@nebrcentre.co.uk