When it comes to security, there are some low-lying threats that can cause big problems. One important example is malware designed to exploit Linux systems, often in the form of executable and linkable format (ELF) binaries. And, as the Linux footprint continues to expand, so, too, will attacks against it.

Researchers from FortiGuard Labs noted a doubling in the occurrence of ELF and other Linux malware detections during 2021 and a quadrupling of the rate of new Linux malware signatures from the first quarter of last year to the fourth quarter. That’s not exactly a meteoric rise, but it’s not something to ignore, either.