This surprise Linux malware warning shows that hackers are changing their targets

The revelation from the FBI and National Security Agency that Russian military intelligence has build malware to target Linux systems is the latest dramatic twist  the unrelenting cyber security battle.

The two agencies have revealed that Russian hackers have been using the previously-undisclosed malware for Linux systems, called Drovorub, as part of their cyber espionage operations. The malware allowed hackers to steal files and take over devices.

Drovorub is far from the first piece of malware to target Linux; it's not even the first piece of Russian malware to target Linux devices. Last year Microsoft warned about malware which was attacking Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and in 2018 the VPN Filter malware, also likely the work of Russian state-backed hackers, targeted routers. And it's not just state-backed hackers that Linux has to worry about either; there's evidence of password stealing malware and even some suggestions that ransomware gangs are trying to target Linux too.