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US, Canada, ANZ Publish Joint Cybersecurity Guidance to Deter ‘Fast Flux’ Threat

Australia, Defense Security Cooperation, Investment Security, National Security, North America, Technology
April 7, 2025April 7, 2025By Arthur McMiler
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US, Canada, ANZ Publish Joint Cybersecurity Guidance to Deter ‘Fast Flux’ Threat
Dave Luber / National Security Agency

The United States and three other countries have announced a joint cybersecurity advisory on a cyberthreat called “fast flux” that hides malicious actors by rapidly changing IP addresses. The National Security Agency partnered with the FBI, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the cybersecurity agencies of Canada, Australia and New Zealand to publish the advisory and its recommended countermeasures.

Flexible C2 System

The NSA noted that fast flux is a national security threat because cybercriminals and nation-state adversaries can use it to establish a flexible, readily available command and control system to conceal their malicious activities. Tracking and blocking fast flux activities can be difficult, enabling espionage and phishing campaigns and other malicious cyber activities, it added. 

The 10-page document, titled “Fast Flux: A National Security Threat,” suggests implementing a multi-layered detection approach to close gaps in an organization’s network defenses. The method involves a combination of domain name system analysis, network monitoring and threat intelligence.

Protective DNS

The partner agencies suggested that organizations, especially Department of Defense agencies and the defense industrial base, tap protective DNS services offering fast flux protection. According to the NSA, it offers cybersecurity services to defense companies, including PDNS coverage, at no cost.

Dave Luber, NSA cybersecurity director, said the joint advisory shares important insights on the risks of fast flux. “It is imperative cybersecurity providers, especially protective DNS providers, follow these guidelines to safeguard critical infrastructure and sensitive information,” he added.

In February 2024, the NSA collaborated with U.K. cybersecurity experts on another technical report, offering guidance on defending against hostile Chinese and Russian cyberattacks that use “living off the land” techniques.

Learn more about the threats global organizations face within the cyber domain at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Cyber Summit on May 15. Register now.

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