A new report says hackers can take remote control of a computer and not only steal passwords and credit card numbers, but also listen through the microphone and watch through the webcam.
The hackers, known as ratters, can then post that information online with advertising.
It’s done by Remote Access Trojans, or RATs. According to the Digital Citizens’ Alliance, they are a growing threat to innocent people.
The Digital Citizens’ Alliance recently completed an eight-month investigation into how the hackers victimize the innocent.
“There was one person talking about how easy it was to get 50 victims in just three minutes,” said Adam Benson with the Digital Citizens’ Alliance.
Remote access malware is being used to watch and listen to private moments all across the world.
The video captured by ratters is often disturbing. They watch young children in their bedrooms and sell access to the computers of girls and boys they have found so others can watch.
“One price we saw was $5 for the devices of girls, $1 for the devices of boys,” Benson said.
The ratters post videos on YouTube to teach others how to do what they do. They make money by selling advertisements before the videos.
Benson shared a few tips to help computer users protect themselves:
Cover a webcam when it’s not in use
Update the computer’s operating system and make sure its anti-virus software and firewalls are up to date
Beware of suspicious links
“Ratters have gotten smarter about making those links attractive and interesting to us,” Benson said.
Benson said if you are a victim, call the police immediately. They have caught and stopped ratters.
Hackers Watching You through your PC!
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