CISA and ACSC Release Top 2021 Malware Strains

CISA and the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) have published a joint Cybersecurity Advisory on the top malware strains observed in 2021. Malicious cyber actors often use malware to covertly compromise and then gain access to a computer or mobile device. As malicious cyber actors have been using most of these top malware strains for more than five years, organizations have opportunities to better prepare, identify, and mitigate attacks from these strains.  

CISA and ACSC encourage organizations to apply the recommendations in the Mitigations sections of the joint CSA. These mitigations include prioritizing patching all systems with known exploited vulnerabilities, enforcing multifactor authentication (MFA), securing remote desktop protocol (RDP) and other risky services, making offline backups of your data, and providing end-user awareness and training about social engineering and phishing. The appendix contains detection signatures organizations can employ in defending their networks. For more information on preventing malicious cyber actors from using 2021 top malware strains to exploit vulnerabilities, see:

•    CISA’s Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog 

•    CISA’s Cyber Hygiene Services

•    CISA’s Choosing and Protecting Passwords

•    ACSC’s Implementing Multi-Factor Authentication