ACSC urges vigilance over "concerning" cyber threats

The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) has issued fresh alerts over two “concerning” cyber threats facing Australian organisations, including the recent discovery of the BlueKeep Microsoft vulnerability being exploited in the wild.

ACSC head Rachel Noble said the centre is concerned about the recently discovered BlueKeep campaign involving exploiting systems to mine for cryptocurrency.

“While you are watching your TV or eating dinner with your family, a cybercriminal can use your computer to mine and profit from untraceable digital currency, and you may never know that this has occurred,” she said.

“The unfortunate truth is that once a cybercriminal can access your computer, they can control your computer. If they find valuable data, like your personal information and photos, they can steal it.”

Meanwhile, Noble said the ACSC is continuing to respond to the widespread Emotet malware campaign.

While the ACSC has observed a recent decrease in the number of infections over the past week, Noble warned that Australian organisations should remain vigilant.

“While we have helped many organisations mitigate the impact of Emotet in its current form, like most forms of malware and ransomware, Emotet may continue to evolve as cybercriminals seek to evade detection and the law,” she said.

As a result of the decrease in infections, the CIMA alert level has been downgraded to Level 4 – Lean Forward, from Level 3 – Alert.

“CIMA Level 4 signifies a precautionary approach through increasing monitoring, analysis, and strategic coordination and engagement at the national level,” Noble said.

The ACSC is urging any organisations or individuals running pre Windows 10 software who have still not installed the BlueKeep patches issued by Microsoft to do so immediately.

“A few minutes updating your software could save you or your business weeks or months of recovering from the damage caused by a cybercriminal,” Noble said.

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