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Convoluted layers: An artificial intelligence primer   Publication

May 21, 2025 - Rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI), along with public releases of AI products, have prompted governments, businesses and criminals to accelerate efforts to incorporate this new technology into their operations. This advice provides definitions for some of the most commonly encountered AI terms in cybersecurity and a brief typology of cyber threats that will arise from AI.

2020-003: Mailto ransomware incidents   Alert

Feb 6, 2020 - The Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre (ASD's ACSC) is aware of recent ransomware incidents involving a ransomware tool known as ‘Mailto’ or ‘Kazakavkovkiz’. Mailto belongs to the KoKo ransomware family.

Remote code execution vulnerability present in the MSHTML component of Microsoft Windows   Alert

Sep 14, 2021 - A vulnerability exists in a component of Microsoft Windows. A malicious cyber actor could exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code, potentially enabling the actor to take control of the vulnerable host. At this current time there is no patch available, affected Australian customers should apply the Microsoft recommended workarounds.

Disclaimer  

Jan 8, 2021 - The Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre (ASD’s ACSC) publishes this website to distribute information to the public and government ICT security professionals. We regularly review and update the information provided.

Manic Menagerie Investigation Report   Reports and statistics

Jan 29, 2019 - This report details technical findings and mitigation advice related to the extensive compromise of at least eight Australian web hosting providers investigated by the Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre (ASD’s ACSC) in May 2018.

SDBBot targeting health sector   Alert

Nov 12, 2020 - The Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre (ASD’s ACSC) has observed increased targeting activity against the Australian health sector by actors using the SDBBot Remote Access Tool (RAT).

Widespread exposure of vulnerability in cPanel   Alert

May 9, 2023 - The Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre (ASD’s ACSC) is aware of a vulnerability affecting cPanel and cPanel managed websites. All Australian organisations should apply the available patches, and ensure staff are informed of the risks against their systems when clicking suspicious links.

Sextortion email campaign impacting Australians   Alert

Apr 16, 2020 - A large number of Australians are being impacted by an email ‘sextortion’ campaign in which the cyber scammers responsible have threatened to release personal and sensitive information to the recipients’ contacts unless the scammer is paid in cash or bitcoin.

Important Vulnerabilities in Microsoft’s October 2023 Security Update   Alert

Oct 13, 2023 - The Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre (ASD's ACSC) is concerned about vulnerabilities disclosed in Microsoft’s October 2023 Security Update. Government, businesses and individuals should patch their Microsoft products and apply any recommended mitigations as soon as possible.

MSP Investigation Report   Reports and statistics

Dec 21, 2018 - The Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre (ASD’s ACSC) investigation report details the theft of commercial secrets, data and information from the Australian arm of a multinational construction services company via their Managed Service Provider.

2020-006 Detecting and mitigating exploitation of vulnerability in Microsoft Internet Information Services   Advisory

May 22, 2020 - This advisory provides indicators of the activity the Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre (ASD’s ACSC) has observed and details proactive advice on detecting and mitigating potential exploitation of this vulnerability in Microsoft Internet Information Services.

Planning for post-quantum cryptography   Publication

Sep 22, 2025 - A cryptographically relevant quantum computer (CRQC) will render most contemporary public key cryptography insecure, thus making ubiquitous secure communications based on current public key cryptography technology infeasible. As the creation of a CRQC presents new cyber security risks, organisations are encouraged to consider anticipating future requirements and dependencies of vulnerable systems during the transition to post-quantum cryptography (PQC) standards.

Technical example: Configure macro settings   Publication

Dec 16, 2022 - Configuring macro settings protects an organisation’s systems from malicious macros. Macros are powerful tools. They were introduced to improve productivity however their functionality can also be used by cyber criminals to compromise a user’s system.

Multiple key vulnerabilities identified in Microsoft products   Alert

Oct 13, 2021 - Multiple key vulnerabilities were identified in Microsoft’s 12 October 2021 patch release. While all vulnerabilities addressed in this release are important to mitigate the Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre (ASD’s ACSC) wishes to highlight several vulnerabilities for priority consideration.

Suspected user credentials stolen from FortiNet devices leaked online   Alert

Sep 10, 2021 - A malicious cyber actor has leaked a list of suspected user credentials and IP address of the associated FortiNet SSL VPN device the credentials are used for. Organisations should review the patch status and history of internet exposed FortiNet SSL VPN devices and consider performing a password reset for affected users.

Critical vulnerability in certain versions of Apache HTTP Server   Alert

Oct 8, 2021 - A vulnerability exists in Apache HTTP Server 2.4.49. A cyber actor could exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code. Initial information also indicates that the vulnerability could also be used perform remote code execution under certain configurations. Affected Australian organisations should apply the available patch.

Priority logs for SIEM ingestion: Practitioner guidance   Publication

May 27, 2025 - This document is again intended for cyber security practitioners and provides detailed, technical guidance on the logs that should be prioritised for SIEM ingestion. It covers log sources including Endpoint Detection and Response tools, Windows/Linux operating systems, and Cloud and Network Devices.

2021-007: Log4j vulnerability – advice and mitigations   Advisory

Dec 29, 2021 - On 10 December 2021, ASD's ACSC released an alert relating to a serious vulnerability in versions of the Log4j Java logging library. Malicious cyber actors are using this vulnerability to target and compromise systems globally and in Australia. The ASD's ACSC is working with a significant number of victims and affected vendors across all sectors of the economy.

Remote code execution vulnerability present in Atlassian Confluence Server and Data Center   Alert

Jun 5, 2022 - A critical unauthenticated remote code execution vulnerability (CVE-2022-26134) has been identified in all supported versions of Atlassian Confluence Server and Data Center. The Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre (ASD’s ACSC) recommends organisations restrict internet access to and from affected devices.

Ongoing targeting of online code repositories   Alert

Sep 19, 2025 - The Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre (ASD's ACSC) is aware of increased targeting of online code repositories, with threat actors employing various tactics to scan for and extract secrets, access private code bases, and modify packages to infect users.

The ASD’s ACSC does not have information to indicate that a specific industry or sector is being targeted, with this advisory providing general awareness of an observed increase in activity.