Modern day stalking epidemic impacting 5% of Australians

Police Commander Sue Evans suggested covering the camera of your devices to protect oneself from the threat of TROJAN RAT Stalking software when it is not in use in her 12 April 2024 announcement concerning TROJAN RAT Stalking software, and the arrest of an Australian developer.  95 percent of Australians reject that advice, believing that it’s not a viable solution to the TROJAN RAT Stalking epidemic.

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TROJAN RAT Stalking software allows a stalker to gain unauthorized access to a device, then the Stalker can do almost anything with the device. They can monitor all actions on the device, send SMS and email correspondence, use the device to commit a crime and steal private information, even access the camera and microphone.  

Computers, tablets and mobiles can all fall victim to TROJAN RAT Stalking software and Stalkers gain the ability to. 

• View the victim's phone screen in real time  

• Look through the phone camera  

• View all content  

• Send and block SMS content  

• Change settings  

• Upload and delete content  

• Draft and send e-mails  

• Make calls  

• Access and utilise apps  

• Take screenshots and photos  

• Edit images  

• Upload and download photos  

According to a white paper from Veronica Valaros and Sebastian Garcia from Czech Technical University, in 2018 there were 337 TROJAN RAT Stalking programs available on the market.  This was a 5% increase on 2017 numbers, comparable to the 5% increase in 2016.  

Based on this YOY growth it is estimated that 451 Trojan RAT Stalking programs are now available in 2024.  Bleapingcomputer.com reported an initial 50,000 installations of the AhRAT TROJAN RAT Stalking software in 2023.   

Using the AhRAT TROJAN RAT Stalking install number as a benchmark for average downloads for every denomination of TROJAN RAT Stalking software, it is estimated the total downloads of TROJAN RAT Stalking software to equal 22.5 million globally.   Australian GitHub.com users equate to 1.3% of the market, (Github.com being the most popular clear web site that developers utilise to deploy the TROJAN RAT Stalking software).  

Using the github.com market share percentage as a guide to the share of Australia TROJAN RAT Stalking software downloads, A conservative estimate would be that 293,000 of the 22.5million global installs of TROJAN RAT Stalking software have occurred on Australian shores. 

Assuming each TROJAN RAT Stalking install is used to stalk 5 victims annually, it equates to 1,467,000 victims of stalking via TROJAN RAT Stalking software in Australia per year. Number of victims is increasing at 5% annually.  

Australia's population is 25.98 million, therefore 5% of Australians are currently victimised by Trojan RAT stalking software.  This is a stalking epidemic.

It's essential to continue raising awareness about the risks associated with TROJAN RAT Stalking software and encourage the adoption of protective measures. Some recommended steps include keeping devices and software updated, using strong and unique passwords, avoiding suspicious links and attachments and running regular antivirus scans.

Glenn Hall is a former advertising executive turned freelance communications consultant. Glenn has a fresh perspective on topical issues and a unique way of viewing the world.   With diverse interests, no topic is out of reach and Glenn will be sure to challenge your thinking.