Remote Access Trojans Explained plus 11 Best RAT Software, Scanners, & Detection Tools
Remote Access Trojans (RATs) are a type of malware threat that lets a hacker take control of your computer. The spying activities that the hacker may carry out once that RAT is installed vary from exploring your files system, watching activities on the screen, and harvesting login credentials.
The hacker might also be using your internet address as a front for illegal activities, impersonating you, and attacking other computers. Viruses downloaded through RAT will infect other computers, while also causing damage to your system by erasing or encryption essential software. RATs should not be confused with Remote Administration Tools which share the same acronym.
Here is our list of the best intrusion detection tools for RAT software, scanners & detection tools:
- SolarWinds Security Event Manager EDITOR’S CHOICE Goes beyond RAT detection with automated remediation tasks that help you block RAT activities and review suspicious behavior on your entire network. Download a 30-day free trial.
- Snort Industry stalwart in NIDS first launched by Cisco.
- OSSEC Open-source HIDS gaining a following for data gathering capabilities.
- Zeek Free network-based intrusion detection system for Unix, Linux, and Mac OS.
- Suricata Monitors IP, TLS, TCP, and UDP protocol activity.
- Sagan Not a standalone intrusion detection system, good for automating scripts.
- Security Onion Open-source amalgamation of other open-source tools on this list.
- AIDE Specializes in rootkit detection and file signature comparisons.
- OpenWIPS-NG Preferred for wireless packet sniffing.
- Samhain Great for setting alerts, but no real troubleshooting capabilities.
- Fail2ban Scans log files and bans IPs that show malicious activity.
RAT software tools and APTs
RATs are tools that are usually used in a stealth type of hacker attack, which is called an Advanced Persistent Threat, or APT. This type of intrusion is not focused on damaging information or raiding computers quickly for data.
Instead, APTs consist of regular visits to your network that can last for years. RATs can also be used to reroute traffic through your company network to mask illegal activities.
Some hacker groups, predominantly in China, have even created a hacker network that runs through the corporate networks of the world and they rent out access to this cybercrime highway to other hackers. This is called the “terracotta VPN” and it is facilitated by RATs.
Early invasions
RATs have quietly been around for more than a decade. The technology was discovered to have played a part in the extensive looting of US technology by Chinese hackers back in 2003. The Pentagon launched an investigation, called Titan Rain, which discovered data theft from US defense contractors, with development and classified testing data being transferred to locations in China.
You may recall the US East Coast power grid shutdowns of 2003 and 2008. These were also traced back to China and were also facilitated by RATs. In short, a hacker who can get a RAT onto a system can activate all of the software that the users of those computers have at their disposal.
Hybrid warfare
A hacker with a RAT can command power stations, telephone networks, nuclear facilities, or gas pipelines. RATs not only represent a corporate network security risk, but they can also enable belligerent nations to cripple an enemy country.
The original users of RATs for industrial espionage and sabotage were Chinese hackers. Over the years, Russia has come to appreciate the power of RATs and has integrated them into its military arsenal. APTs are now officially part of the Russian offense strategy that is known as “hybrid warfare.”
When Russia seized territory from Georgia in 2008 it employed DDoS attacks to block internet services and APTs using RATs to gather intelligence, control, and disrupt Georgian military hardware and essential utilities. Russia’s use of RATs to destabilize Ukraine and the Baltic States continues to this day.
Russia employs semi-official hacker groups, such as APT28. Another hacker group, known as APT15 is regularly used by the Chinese government. The names of these groups explain their main strategy, the “advanced persistent threat,” which is facilitated by RATs.
The rise in trade tariff tensions in 2018 has seen a new spurt in Chinese hacker activity, particularly the semi-military APT15 group. The troubles between the USA and North Korea that have been rumbling on since 2015 have also caused a rise in RAT-assisted APT activity originating in North Korea.
So, while threat actors & hackers around the world use RATs to spy on companies and steal their data and money, the RAT problem has now become an issue of national security for many countries, particularly the USA. We have included some examples of RAT tools below.
Defense against Remote Access Trojan software
Antivirus systems don’t do very well against RATs. Often the infection of a computer or network goes undetected for years. The obfuscation methods used by parallel programs to cloak the RAT procedures make them very difficult to spot. Persistence modules that use rootkit techniques mean that RATs are very difficult to get rid of. Sometimes, the only solution to rid your computer of a RAT is to wipe out all of your software and reinstall the operating system.
RAT prevention systems are rare because the RAT software can only be identified once it is operating on your system. The best way to manage the RAT problem is to use an intrusion detection system. Comparitech has a guide on intrusion detection systems, which gives you a full explanation of how these systems work and a rundown of recommended tools.
The best RAT software, scanners & detection tools
Our methodology for selecting remote access trojan protection systems
We reviewed the market for remote access trojan scanners and analyzed the options based on the following criteria:
- Options for network and host-based RAT scanning
- Threat mitigation services to get rid of detected RATs
- Options for scanning wireless networks
- Alerts to draw attention to RATs and guide removal
- Detection and removal logging for data protection standards compliance
- A free tool or a free trial period for assessment
- A good mix of tools at a fair price that represents value for money
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