Words we choose to describe things and phenomena often show our attitude towards what we say. They imperceptibly reflect our opinions and judgments, prejudices and preferences, moral convictions and beliefs. Whether we like it or not, good deal of words we use are biased, or should I say "slanted", --positively or negatively. Two people will call the same thing differently, depending on their points of view.
Look at this example: "Monitoring", "surveillance", "control", "data interception", "gathering evidence of wrongdoing" -- on the one hand; "sleuthing", "spying", "eavesdropping", "snooping", "peeping", "prying", "tapping"--on the other. A neutral "information gathering device" vs. negatively loaded "bug"--choice of words clearly shows whether we approve or disapprove it.
If you feel you have right to do so, you are "monitoring my kids' online behavior"; your resentful kids, however, might think you are to poking your nose into their lives. The same at work--but here it is you who is the person under surveillance, and your opinion might differ from the CEO's, who probably thinks that "workplace surveillance software improves employees' performance and prevents violations of security policy and corporate code of conduct" (or something similar).
Most of arguments on this issue start right here; the crucial point is whether those who perform monitoring are authorized to do so.
Computer monitoring and email monitoring have been in the limelight for several years, and public interest is not going to fade. The very issue of monitoring is extremely complicated. Here technical matters become directly connected with wide range of political, legal, economic and moral issues. The data interception technology has everything to do with a wide range of very serious matters--from identity theft to various aspects of national security.
The problem is that this technology is a double-edged sword. Software used for parental control or workplace surveillance often apply the same mechanisms as malicious programs used for data stealing and plain spying. But there are differences.
These two specific program functions are typical to spy programs:
First, preliminary configuration of the monitoring module (it is usually called "client" or "agent") is possible, with a compiled executable file as a result. This file, when installed, doesn't display any messages or create windows on the screen. It "hides itself" and "shows no signs of life". It is impossible to notice whether the particular PC is being secretly monitored or not. Of course, the user is not aware of being spied ? until the consequences show up.
Second, spy software always has built-in means of remote installation; as a rule, the pre-configured module (agent) is installed into the target PC remotely. Then the files with obtained information are sent via local network or emailed to the person who installed the spy program.
Last, but not least ? spyware is always used illicitly and behind the user's back ? here monitoring is performed by a person who has no right for it. Unlike spyware, legally used monitoring programs are seldom used furtively. Though in many states it is officially permitted not to let employees know about monitoring, companies--especially large ones--rarely make a secret out of it.
Remove these two functions - and you will get a monitoring program instead of spy software. If it is impossible to pre-configure the monitoring module and install it remotely; if you should have administrator privilege to install the program, it is monitoring software, not spyware.
As we can see, monitoring products in themselves are neither good nor bad. Compare them with a knife--one may use it both for cutting cheese and for stabbing a neighbor to death. Tool is only a tool, but be careful--this one is of a dangerous kind.
Alexandra Gamanenko currently works at Raytown Corporation, LLC--an independent monitoring and anti-monitoring software developing company. Its products are based on innovative technologies the company's R&D department developed. Learn more--visit the company's website http://www.softsecurity.com/
Alto Pass chicago limos ..IntroductionPHP can be used for a lot of different things,... Read More
We all take the computer for granted. I mean, all... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains is very popular ERP platform... Read More
Case study: A secretary using Corel WordPerfect 7 is often... Read More
As Mozilla Firefox nears 10% market share, with well over... Read More
Do you want to get quality software at a reasonable... Read More
It is now common thing when large corporation selects mid-market... Read More
We will base our prognosis on our Microsoft Business Solutions... Read More
Microsoft Word is one of the most popular office applications... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains, former Great Plains Software eEnterprise,... Read More
1. Replace Dexterity cursor with SQL Stored Procedure Dexterity... Read More
Remember back in the days where screensavers were the coolest... Read More
While Ukraine is becoming a new popular IT outsourcing destination,... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions CRM is web-based CRM application, deploying all... Read More
Today's business world is fast-paced. No matter what it is... Read More
Microsoft Great Plains fits to majority of industries, in the... Read More
If you would like to pick something from Microsoft, or... Read More
It???s easy to understand why you might be drawn to... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains has Project Accounting module where... Read More
You turn on your computer, and it doesn't look quite... Read More
When you buy a computer, it most likely comes with... Read More
GroupwareEfforts are continually made to manage the unavoidable ad hoc... Read More
Microsoft Great Plains is main Microsoft Business Solutions accounting package... Read More
Cyberspace has opened up a new frontier with exciting possibilities... Read More
Most people understand that the "hardware" part of their computer... Read More
Alto Pass cool limo ..CD and DVD replication is a process that works by... Read More
Creating a new markup language.Introduction.General Reuse Markup Langauge, or GRML,... Read More
If you are software developer or database administrator - we... Read More
Adware is a type of Spyware program that displays some... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains serves to the wide spectrum... Read More
As of now - Great Plains Dynamics/eEnterprise is transformed/renamed into... Read More
The Windows registry is a huge database that ensures normal... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains has substantial market share among... Read More
Homeland security, airport security, Internet security ??" these days we???re... Read More
TikiWiki is open source software - it is written in... Read More
Microsoft Great Plains - Microsoft Business Solutions accounting and ERP... Read More
Table of Contents1) Introduction 2) Related Work 3) Framework 4)... Read More
Considering whether or not your software company should hire a... Read More
When you own a small business, time is money. And... Read More
You've finally created databases that you can actually use to... Read More
Microsoft Great Plains could be tuned and setup to fit... Read More
Microsoft Business Solutions Small Business Manager is scaled down Great... Read More
Usually, the easiest way to tell you have spyware is... Read More
Bad News - the Threat is Bigger than it SeemedHow... Read More
If you're online using a dialup Internet connection, you'll probably... Read More
Handling character strings in Java is supported through two final... Read More
Enabling Chinese input is quick and easy, there are only... Read More
Most people don't use Photoshop to its fullest capabilities. Here... Read More
Research bears that less than 70 percent of development projects... Read More
Fleet Maintenance Management is a critical position in any company... Read More
Software |