【新词新意】网络摄像头黑客 Ratters.

　　网络安全人士曾经警告，电脑黑客可以远程激活我们电脑上的摄像头，获取我们的视频资料。这种行为在英语里叫做Ratting，而远程入侵我们电脑的人则叫做Ratter。

　　Ratters are computer attackers who use Remote Access Tools (R.A.T.s) to activate the webcams of compromised computers and record video of unsuspecting users. They call the owners of these infected computers “slaves,” and compromising videos, especially of female slaves, are openly traded, and posted on YouTube.

　　Ratters指一些运用远程访问工具激活被入侵电脑的网络摄像头并在用户毫无戒备的情况下录制其视频的电脑入侵者，称为“远程入侵者”。他们将这些被入侵电脑用户称为“奴隶”，而那些有损名声的视频，尤其是女性“奴隶”的视频，则被用来公开交易并在视频网站上发布。

　　Beyond invading a victim’s privacy, Ratters have tools in their software to scare or annoy remote victims. They can open and close their DVD drives, display graphic images on screen, have the computer read aloud using text-to-speech applications, or even hide the start button.

　　除了侵犯受害者的隐私外，“远程入侵者”还使用他们软件里的工具恐吓或骚扰远程受害者。他们可以打开和关闭用户的DVD驱动器、在用户电脑上播放图形图像、使用文本语音切换应用程序让电脑大声朗读，甚至隐藏用户的开始按钮。

　　While this type of unauthorized computer intrusion is clearly against the law, the fight against Ratting is a challenge. There are many free or low-cost programs already available online, attackers are not usually local or in close proximity to victims, and while any one forum of Ratters could be shut down, others could easily pop up elsewhere. (Source: Yahoo! News)

　　虽然这种未经授权的计算机入侵行为明显触犯了法律，但打击这种行为仍颇具挑战。网上已经有许多免费或低价的恶意程序，入侵者们通常都不在本地也不在受害者附近。而且，尽管任何一个“远程入侵者”论坛都可能会被封杀，类似的论坛却很容易在其它地方出现。