Australian police arrest young hacker behind Imminent Monitor RAT

A 24-year-old Australian hacker is facing a 20-year prison sentence after an Australian Federal Police (AFP) investigation connected him to the highly damaging Imminent Monitor remote access trojan (RAT).

According to police, the spyware was responsible for $400,000 AUD of income for the hacker and affected more than 14,500 people in 128 countries.

The hacker, Jacob Wayne John Keen, is said to have created the spyware when he was 15-years-old. When the software is downloaded, users can have their information stolen, as well as hackers being able to log keystrokes, view webcam, and listen to the microphone.

“These types of malware are so nefarious because it can provide an offender virtual access to a victim’s bedroom or home without their knowledge,” said Chris Goldsmid, AFP commander of cyber-crime operations. “Unfortunately there are criminals who not only use these tools to steal personal information for financial gain but also for very intrusive and despicable crimes.”

RAT had been on sale for six years between 2013 and 2019 and a number of domestic abusers and child abusers had made use of the spyware. Due to the ability for this tool to be used without the knowledge of victims, it is an extremely invasive piece of spyware.

The license for the RAT was priced at US $25 dollars and larger teams could add extra options for a fee. Law enforcement agencies from around the world worked to investigate the origins of Imminent Monitor, with a total of 13 people being arrested for using the RAT.

Keen was arrested under six different criminal charges related to computer misuse and data misuse. His mother is also encountering one count of proceeds of crime with a value exceeding $100,000 and is facing up to 20 years in prison.