Infostealers on the rise: time to take action, Australia recommends

The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) has been tracking and monitoring an increase in activity related to information-stealing malware, also known as infostealers.

Infostealers are a specific type of malware, typically a Trojan virus that masks itself to gather sensitive information. In general, this malicious software is capable of stealing user credentials, browser data, messaging and email chat logs, documents, computer information, and images and other media.

Sensitive information that has been stolen is often used by cybercriminals themselves to target additional victims or sold to others so they can do the same.

With access to personal and financial accounts, scammers can carry out identity theft, financial fraud, and take over online accounts. Corporate credentials can lead to larger-scale incidents, including ransomware deployment, data breaches, and data extortion.

What makes infostealers extra harmful is that they are designed to be undetectable. Victims often have no idea that their device is infected or that their data has been stolen.

“This highlights the importance of taking steps now to protect your devices and accounts, before you become a victim,” Australia’s cybersecurity agency says in a press release that was published on Monday.

The ACSC urges people to take action and better secure their online accounts.

The first thing users should do is implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) across external and internal services, systems, and data repositories containing sensitive information.

In addition, people should only be using unique, complex, and long passwords, or a reputable password manager to help them secure their accounts. Software updates should be installed as soon as they are available.

Furthermore, users should be careful with what they store in their web browser’s autofill feature. To be safe, people should consider filling out web forms manually instead of storing passwords, credit card numbers, or other sensitive information in their web browser.

Some other tips are to avoid using ”remember me” options when logging into online accounts, logging out of your accounts whenever you’re done, and clearing web browser cookies after finishing a browsing session to reduce the information available to infostealers.

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