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Home > The age of informational spy gear
June 3, 2005
By: Bob Whitehead
When we think of spy gear what often comes to mind is the
James Bond age of tiny weapons. As our society evolves from
the industrial age to the age of communication, the spy gear
evolves more into ways of capturing multimedia data as a
means of controlling the flow of information.
Different types of informational spy gear
Keylogger: This piece of software is installed on
a machine to capture the keystrokes of the user on the
system and sends them to a text file.
Spyware: Software that tracks the sites visited on
a website and the user’s browsing habits. Some types of
spyware can even capture screen snapshots. This is usually
downloaded off a previously visited website without the
user’s permission.
Web cameras: This type of spy gear ranges from
obvious surveillance cameras to hidden pinhole-sized lens
cameras. Some can be wireless where images are sent to a
receiver somewhere off-site.
Video capture cards: These are used to capture and
store multimedia data for later review off of VCRs, DVD’s,
and camcorders.
Microphone spy tool: This uses the microphone
attached to your personal computer to monitor noises within
the room while you are away.
Network sniffers: Software that works with the
network to monitor the activity of users across the network.
Viruses: Computer programs that can be used to
send out e-mails or even to control your own camera and
microphone.
As can be seen by the examples above, the aim of spy gear
is not so much to capture an enemy as to allow infiltration
into the user’s own systems and use them against him. The
simplest form of spy gear, though, will always be human
ingenuity. Someone naively giving out a password to the
wrong person can circumvent the most effective defenses.
Plenty of scams now abound where that information is also
being harvested, sometimes simply by making a request for it
whilst impersonating a business or government agency.
In this age of information where our very identity is
just an entry in someone’s database, it pays to be informed
on what types of spy gear someone might use on you.
About the Author
Bob Whitehead is a successful freelance writer and
contributor to Video-Surveillance-Guide.com. Your
definitive guide to video surveillance equipment, CCTV
cameras and wireless security systems for home and business.
Also See:
[ Karmic consequences of using spy equipment ]
[ Sneaking a global peek with EarthCam ]
[ High quality surveillance with a video capture card ]
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