FBI collecting its own malware library to study cyber threats

In the continued battle against cyber warfare, the FBI recently opened the door to security experts willing to share information about malware. Specifically, the Investigative Analysis Unit (IAU) wants to create "global awareness of the malware threat" in anticipation of what lies ahead in the future. The request for quote (RFQ) is a unique effort to purchase malware so the FBI intelligence services are able to try and reverse-engineer the security threats.

The FBI is currently seeking security firms to submit malware samples for federal computer teams to learn more about how the malicious software is made and distributed. Executive files, digital media files, exploited code, and Office documents will be collected, though security experts are welcome to try and stump the FBI with select malware.

Sophisticated malware continues to plague desktop and mobile users, with malware targeting Microsoft Windows, Linux, and Apple OS X/iOS.