Electronic Surveillance

Summary There are many various security applications of electronic surveillance nowadays. They include smoke detectors, electronic monitoring bracelets, burglar alarms, baby monitors, motion sensors and lights, video cameras, audio listening and recording devices, key cards and smart cards, computer monitoring software, phone calls monitoring devices, biometric surveillance devices and many others. The main goal of all surveillance equipment and software is to prevent crime or illegal actions against human being, private or government property etc. Security applications for electronic surveillance use different techniques and methods for monitoring, processing and recording data therefore have their own advantages and disadvantages. Common phone call monitoring method is wiretapping – besides basic information about the call, it provides an access to the actual content of the call and allows monitoring it for preventing criminal or terrorist activity. A great advantage of video monitoring via surveillance cameras in real time is that it provides a responsible person with ability to react more quickly to a certain situation. In addition, recording of surveillance video has its own advantages – it gives a proof of an act and enables to review recorded materials in legal process. A main disadvantage of video surveillance is so called “blind zones” – areas that are outside the field of cameras view. A motion sensor is probably the most universal electronic surveillance device that uses multiple types of sensor to detect an activity or presence. As soon as body heat or motion is detected by the sensor, an alarm is activated automatically. The surveillance equipment for computer monitoring is a software program installed on a hard drive of the computer and monitored remotely on another computer to record a computer’s use. Such software monitors in real time and records communication via instant messengers, e-mails and Internet, as