tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4050177321399051504.post2887110803165139462..comments2015-01-20T04:31:19.876-05:00Comments on The Cuckoo's Egg: Video Surveillance - Enhanced Security or Privacy Invasion?Ned Moranhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17232327294288429394noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4050177321399051504.post-74173489112166367772009-12-05T17:19:17.979-05:002009-12-05T17:19:17.979-05:00A recent blog post by Scott Adams (at http://dilbe...A recent blog post by Scott Adams (at http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/its_getting_harder_to_be_a_criminal/) seems relevant to the questions raised by this post.<br /><br />Adams argues that new technology is providing us with enhanced security. Regarding video surveillance, he mentions the company Connexed Surveillance, a "web-based camera management and video storage solution that delivers the most secure, most economical solution on the market." Basically, the images from millions of surveillance cameras are sent back to their servers.<br /><br />Just as CCTV intrudes into our lives, now with companies like Connexed, these images will be aggregated, like our search data. Your questions, whether video cameras deter crime and enhance security, now apply to these off-site surveillance services. And I think that the answer is still 'no.' Adams is naive to think that the videos will be "encrypted so securely that playback will be effectively impossible unless the court orders it." Almost every day in class this semester, we have looked at the failings of promises of privacy and security. We have studied how data is leaked or stolen for personal gain.<br /><br />On a different note, I was intrigued by Adams' points about "sniffing" technology. While a car's ability to tell if you're drunk makes life less private than years past, that example seems like a beneficial intrusion that would do more good than harm.Jednoreply@blogger.com