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A guide to understanding Remote Administration Tools (RAT)
Tired of hearing, "Oh my god I got RATTED", "Don't click that link! It might be a RAT!" And didn't know what the person was talking about or you had a rough idea, but wanted a more in depth explanation? Well you have come to the right place! This will be a short guide to understanding RATs from an educational point of view. This is a guide on understanding and protecting yourself from, arguably, the most dangerous tool hackers use to gain access to your computer - RATS, which stands for Remote Administration Tools.
What is a RAT?
A remote administration tool is a program wherein a operator connects to your computer remotely and has the ability to operate your computer. It as if the person is right there physically using your computer.
What can a RAT do?
A RAT has the ability to do many things to your computer. The operator can turn on your webcam without you even knowing. The operator can see your computer screen without you even knowing. The operator has access to all files and data on your computer. They can easily obtain the passwords to your sythe account, runescape account, facebook account, paypal account etc. The operator of the RAT even has the ability to turn on your computer's speakers and listen to you talk without you even knowing! An operator of the RAT can shut down your computer/force you off the internet/and can even stop you from controlling your mouse/keyboard. There are many, many more things the operator of a RAT can do, but you get my point; the opportunities are endless.
How does a RAT work?
Remote administration trojans enter your computer when you run an infected link that you may have downloaded/received from someone. They open a port on your computer and bind themselves to it. The operator of the RAT runs the program and enters your IP, allowing the trojan to receive commands and run on your computer. The operator of the RAT then has the ability to operate your computer each time they connect and do virtually anything they want without you ever knowing.
Video of a RAT in action: (Purely shown for educational purposes, I do not own nor support what is shown in this video)
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What does a RAT look like?
Below you can see the interface of a RAT program. As you can see this particular operator has many victims (termed as slaves by hackers). The operator has the ability to see whether or not his/her slaves have a webcam, which country they are form, has access to their IP, computer name, operating system and many more vulnerable pieces information.
How can I stay Safe?
Do not click and download from any non reputable links. Don't download any program from YouTube claiming to be make you a billionaire on runescape/bot program etc. When you download from these links and run the program, your computer is automatically blinded to the operator's server and he/she can begin controlling your computer. Do not trust any links unless they come from a reputable source.
Do not accept any file requests over MSN or another instant messaging program. The operator of the RAT can make their file appear as an image or another type of file and can deceive you and manipulate you. You may think they are sending you a simple image file, but it could very well be infected.
Make sure you have the latest version of anti-virus software! Download AVG Anti-virus and MalwareBytes, as both are free and pretty good. It doesn't hurt to invest in a payed antivirus either. But don't be fooled. Just because you have an antivirus won't make you immune to all files. Many files can be crypted and fully undetectable by antiviruses. So you could have downloaded a file, ran it; and been infected and you'd never know as the antivirus would not pick it up.
Where can I get my very own RAT?
That question may have been spinning around your head while you were reading this guide. First of all never even have the intention to RAT for malicious purposes, as it is ILLEGAL. You can and will face consequences if caught. Especially when (I'm assuming) that you have very little knowledge of encryption, proxies, VPN, port forwarding etc. There are legal RATS out there - example: TeamViewer (ones in which the other party has your permission) that you can experiment with, but never even think about RAT'ing for malicious purposes. Many countries have laws stating that you cannot control another person's virtual property without their permission. After all you wouldn't want to end up like this guy.
Thanks for reading and please don't forget to leave a comment!
