Saturday, 14 January 2017

Important Insights On What Network Surveillance Entails

By Brenda Morgan


Computer technology has taken the world by storm. These gadgets are used in almost every aspect of business activities. They have made working much easier and fun than it used to be before. Network surveillance is an emerging trend that has become popular in many organizations and firms that handle a lot of transactions on a day to day basis.

This exercise entails the monitoring of the flow of data happens online through an internet connection. It relies on a specially designed software that can detect any suspicious or criminal activity that may be conducted using computers. There are some surveillance companies that may be contracted to perform the exercise on behalf of organizations and firms.

This system is popular among government agencies, corporations, criminal organizations and even individuals. The government relies on these programs to maintain social control among interactions of citizens while monitoring any threat or malicious activities. The actions of foreigners are also of great importance to the state. This eliminates the chances of falling victim to acts of terrorism.

The system operates through a technique called packet capture. The software is installed on a computer through a procedure such as backdoor or cracking. This is then used to monitor the exchange of data over this established internet connection. Data transmission is then intercepted during the process where it is analyzed and examined in detail. If criminal intent is identified both the sender and recipient can be tracked and held accountable.

Setting up such a mechanism requires a huge amount of resources. The purchase of equipment, installation and operating the act of data analysis and scrutiny is a very costly exercise. Departments have been seeking for donor funding to set up such s system. Developing countries have been unable to set up such programs and usually, rely on entities such as Google and Microsoft to obtain vital data.

However, having such an operation is very beneficial to an organization or state department. In organizations, these systems have prevented the misuse of resources by employees, activities such as online chatting and shopping while on duty have been minimized. It has led to the better safeguarding of assets especially intellectual properties, company secrets and business strategies from being hacked into.

Despite the numerous benefits, there are also shortcomings. The program requires highly specialized staff to operate; this adds the extra cost of training. Maintaining confidentiality of such programs is difficult due to the great risk of hackers and online crime. Finally, surveillance operation is not appreciated by persons who use media platforms such as YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook. The thought that they are under close watch makes individuals feel uncomfortable and edgy.

The use of the internet for communication purposes has increased in the last few decades. The reasons for internet use has been largely diverse with some using it for productive purposes and some for illegal practices. The surveillance system will always be there to monitor these activities and make online activities much safer and convenient for users. The merits far outweigh the shortcomings and hence the system will continue to be relied on in the future.




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