The National Security Agency has issued new guidance to warn the public against the threat of fast flux, a technique cyber actors use to conceal nefarious activity. The “Fast Flux: A National Security Threat” cybersecurity advisory published Thursday details how attackers make discovery and tracking more difficult and what organizations can do to safeguard their systems.
“Fast flux is an ongoing, serious threat to national security, and this guidance shares important insight we’ve gathered about the threat,” stated Dave Luber, the agency’s cybersecurity director.
What Is Fast Flux?
Cyber actors use the fast flux technique to avoid detection by rapidly changing the Domain Name System, or DNS, records associated with a domain name, hiding the location of malicious servers.
According to the document, there are two variations of a fast flux attack: a single flux wherein a single domain name is linked to numerous IP addresses and a double flux, which also changes DNS name servers.
The NSA warned that nation-state actors employ the technique to build a resilient command and control infrastructure to hide their activities, posing a threat to national security. Moreover, cyber criminals are also using fast flux in tandem with other techniques such as phishing and distributed denial of service.
NSA and partner agencies from the United States, New Zealand, Australia and Canada urge cybersecurity providers to review the CSA and take steps to mitigate potential attacks.
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