Introduction
The world is growing at an alarming rate where technology has taken over almost every operation. Information and communication technologies play a greater role in supporting the economic growth of a country in order to reach higher levels of competitiveness. Technology assists in many ways ranging from production in industries, for security purposes, farming, and many other operations occurring in the day-to-day living. One of the areas where technology has a great impact is on surveillance. As many countries go digital, many security concerns have been raised. The mass adoption of technology is a disruptive wave that has overtaken almost every industry globally. Such industries are faced with many threats from outside forcing them to install effective surveillance gadgets (Park, 2012). The paper will focus how security is enhanced in our modern world using Network and targeted device surveillance.
Thesis statement
The issue of national security has raised many concerns over the situation of security in our countries. Surveillance technology has played a major role in minimizing criminal and terrorism acts through location and identification of law offenders. Technology advancement also continues to improve the safety of people, as more security surveillance methods are devised.
Discussion
In the recent years, the emergence of science and technology has been remarkable as technologists try to advance from the previous technologies. The two major areas used in the surveillance technology in the contemporary world are biometrics and internet, with data storage supporting and maintaining the actual surveillance systems. Internet is the major technological area where surveillance services happen in a wide range of activities. Apart from Personal Computers (PC), other devices are used in internet surveillance such as smart phones, laptops, tablets, and internet enabled cell phones. Such devices use Global Positioning System (GPS) to connect to the internet. Security agencies also have an easier time accessing the location of criminals and terrorists using the GPS surveillance. GPS provides a clear picture of the location of an individual using the nearby landmark, building, road, street or even restaurant and institution. These technologies have a significant impact on the security of people and nations today and in the future (Lee, 2012).
The advancing technology controls the world we live in today. Most of these technological advancements make lives easier and secure. With the availability of large-scale computer networks and the increasing concern for identity theft cases, the use of an appropriate network and targeted device surveillance has become of significant importance. The desired personal identification systems should possess the ability to point out an individual accurately, rapidly, reliably, without invading privacy rights, in a cost effective, user friendly and manage to cope with the changing technology. The following discussion will focus on the network and targeted device surveillance. Under this surveillance system, various gadgets as mentioned above are used to assist in locating a person or device.
Network and targeted device surveillance
The following surveillance system focuses on the monitoring of live traffic and data transmitted through networks. It also conducts surveillance on specific static or mobile devices used by individuals. The methods used for monitoring and filtering networks used in the surveillance process include HTTP proxy filtering, DNS tampering, a combination of HTTP proxy filtering and TCP/IP, internet domain and Distributed Denial of service attacks (DDOS). Network and targeted device surveillance use systems under four categories. These are the deep packet inspection for internet surveillance, content surveillance on targeted devices, smart meter surveillance and location tracking (Parker, 2012).
The data packet inspection for internet surveillance
The data packet inspection for internet surveillance is a method used in monitoring data and traffic on the internet. Internet forms the most effective and efficient mode of communication channel used in presently. Internet has been taken as one of the sources of insecurity globally and governments use it in analyzing various crimes. Government looks for direct access to information through broadband internet connections and voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) services. Apart from using deep packet inspection in monitoring, screening, analyzing and filtering data traffic, security agencies use this approach in identifying terrorists and other lawbreakers. In the United States (US), the Central Investigations Agency (CIA) has an obligation to intercept all phone calls and broadband internet traffic in order to get a clear surveillance of any potential security threat. In United Kingdom, the government also implemented new regulations that extend the surveillance of emails and social media communications to cope with internet security concerns. Moreover, the German government tried the same process whereby they intercepted more than 37 million emails and data connections in 2010. Security agencies identified about 4% of the words used had some key words related to terrorism, smuggling, drug trafficking and proliferation. Interception of these emails and data assists the government in investigations related to terrorism and drug trafficking in the country.
The packet data inspection has ever since replaced human interference in monitoring of individual movements. The algorithms used by this system allows a fine-grained alert system, that senses certain words and phrases used by users when they communicate using either emails of other forms of social media. The Deep Packet Inspection technology enables achievement of core technology used in the surveillance of communications between citizens. The following program allows an extensive monitoring and analysis of data packages sent via the internet. In addition, internet providers deploy DPI within the infrastructure they operate in that assist in scanning the traffic on their servers. Through this they achieve the following:
- Network management
- Network stability
- Manipulation of websites for efficient transmission
- Provides government with surveillance and censoring infrastructures
- Blocking of channels that promote unlawful messages
- Profiling for targeted advertising
On the other hand, content surveillance system assists in monitoring of individuals that open up issues of applicable legislation especially when proxy servers are located outside boarders. The configuration and functionality of content surveillance is still not complete and security agencies face many challenges trying locating an individual outside the proxy. Installation of additional features is enabled by the originally input updates that are sometimes tampered with by lawbreakers. The following surveillance system plays a major role in determining potential security discrepancies within a nation. The government should keep up-to-date software systems capable of resisting any attack by viruses. The modern computer society has a high dependency rate on the internet and the probability of causing serious damage to a nation by interfering with communication systems through cyber attacks is becoming a real threat, leading to increased risks (Inteco, 2007).
Smart meter surveillance
Smart meter surveillance is the next technology associated with network and targeted devices. Smart meter surveillance has become more relevant in the field of security because of the growing use of these devices in homes. Firstly, this technology assists households in providing information needed to change their modes of energy consumption. In addition, the program assists in remote maintenance of households by offering the necessary security measures. Smart meter devices consist of different units. They contain sensors that meter the consumed energy. The device has a two-way communication channel allowing interchange of information between grid operator and the user. Figure 1 shows the flow of information using the smart meter from the energy grid to the consumer.
Figure 1: application of smart meter
The final gadgets under the network and targeted device surveillance are the location tracking. Mobile communication use has created a significant expansion of technology giving rise to various location systems. Location tracking serves a number of purposes in different areas such as military, retail, healthcare, and postal. People and assets movements have become a concern of national security that reinforces the desire of intelligence and other security agencies to have geo location information where necessary. Geo location is an effective way of locating people and assets because it entails positioning by coordinates (latitude, longitude, and altitude). Location tracking surveillance system operates under the command of five major components. These are:
- Software application of service providers
- A mobile network used to transmit data and ask for the service
- Content provider who supplies geo-location information
- A positioning component (GPS)
- End-User’s mobile device
A location-tracking device equipped with these five components makes it easier for monitoring and targeting users. With these devices, the concerned authority can locate, track and identify individuals and goods that have the potential of causing threat to a nation (McLeod, 2010).
Evidence
Policy makers are more concerned with the global challenges associated with security. Security is necessary for a nation to prosper and for the security of citizen, but the means of achieving becomes a subject of discussion. Technology plays an essential role in enhancing security in various fields. However, these security measures are prone to misuse by unauthorized people who interfere with the lives of innocent people. On the other hand, the rise of modern digital world has made almost everybody have access to online services that poses many threats to users who leave traces of their personal data (Park, 2012). The discussion has shown how the upcoming surveillance-oriented technologies have assisted coping terrorism in the world using the social shaping of technology framework.
Conclusion
Technology has assisted in shaping the social lives of individuals. The advancement in technology takes us to a situation where machines will be taking control of all human activities on earth. The importance of surveillance technology to the public is seen on this discussion. National security is a concern for every person and everyone has a duty of reporting anybody interfering with safety of the nation. Most governments use networking and targeted device surveillance in identifying criminals and terrorists using the internet.
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