What To Think About Related To Surveillance Software Applications
Internet Monitoring: Ideal features include the recording of web site visits and internet lookups. The software needs to have the cabability to detect when a user accesses a social network website like MySpace, Twitter, Facebook, or looks at sex sites.
A few surveillance apps can capture blog posts, usernames and even passwords. Logging the transcripts of conversations that happen by chat and instant messaging (IM) is also popular to have. More elements to consider are the tracking of file downloading, sent and received email, email attachments and webmail.
Computer Spy & Admin: Either done directly on the computer to be monitored or remotely online. Computer owners may want the ability to command the monitored Computer from another location. Common remote commands include the ability to disable or enable applications, restarting the computer, locking the mouse and much more. Additional tracking functionality often include the logging of launched apps and also duration and frequency of use. These components could monitor the time a person uses viewing videos, playing games or doing other nonproductive activities that distract from work, schoolwork or sleep.
Filtering & Blocking: You almost certainly want to make sure the spy solution you select has some kind of filtering and/or blocking functions. These elements could stop users from executing software, viewing porn, online gaming as well as social networking sites. A few applications block and filter content by keywords, phrases and categories. The blocking of chat and instant message conversations could be important to parents. Additional spy aspects could include the protection against downloading unlawful software and music.
Reporting and Storage: Spy applications can log enormous amounts of data. A badly developed reporting user interface could make even the most robust software programs worthless. Reporting procedures need to be easy to navigate. It is common for the software to include multiple built-in report functions as well as the capability to do customized searches. For some programs If you wish to retain back-up data of the data you have captured you will need to clear out your online storage periodically by downloading the data files to your local computer if you wish to keep them.
Glossary of Computer Surveillance Programs Terminology
Internet Monitoring
The Monitoring programs tracks and logs the online activities of all monitored users. These activities can include visited websites, online searches, chats, social networking activities, and file download and upload.
Remote Computer Monitoring and Control
The expression describes the surveillance of activities and remotely controlling the target computer. These activities can include restarting and freezing the computer, preventing a user from launching specified software, print tracking, application use tracking, scheduled user access time and more.
Web Filter
This term means to the filtering and blocking of questionable online content via keyword, category or specific website address. Additionally, on the local computer the term applies to the blocking of user-launched software, scheduling of PC access, the prevention of software installations and more.
Reporting
Reporting is the method that the software employs to present the captured data. Various reporting methods are available and include remote reporting, local machine reporting, email reporting, FTP reporting, log files and others. Organizational report methods assist the user with the interpretation of the data. They can consist of charts, bar graphs, lists, screenshots, alerts and more.
Stealth Settings
Stealth settings describes The program being undetectable. Non-stealth describes an open, overt or visible process.
Hot Key Access
In monitoring applications, Hot Key Access, describes the input of a series of hot keys. Once entered successfully, The software allows access to the User Interface. Password protection is a word that protects files, logs, application interfaces and more.
Scheduled Monitoring
Monitoring of the PC occurs during specified dates, times or user activities.
Remote Commands
When no physical access is available to the computer, the PC administrator can remotely issue commands to halt and restart the computer, enable or disable devices and more.
User Activity
User activity is a term that refers to to all the activity that a user performs on a given computer. These include accessed websites, launched software and instant messages.
Launched Applications
Launched applications are the software that the user starts up and uses.
Document Tracking
The application monitors all instances of user file creation, modification, copying, moving, deletion and frequency of access.
Keystroke Logging
In keystroke logging, The software application records every keystroke a user makes and stores the information in a log for the computer administrator to view later.
Screenshot Logging
Screenshot logging is the capturing of the displayed images on a computer’s monitor.
Remote Logging
In remote monitoring, the app stealthily captures and transmits data to a computer administrator who is physically located in another location. In some instances, the logged information is viewable from any web-connected PC via email, FTP (File Transfer Protocol), over local network shares or manufacturer-hosted website.
Portable Device Logging
Examples of a portable device include cell phones, USB thumb drives, external hard drives and more.
Scheduled Screenshots<
p>The monitoring software program records what is on the user’s screen at regularly scheduled intervals.
Scheduled PC Access
Users can access the monitored computer only during specified times, hours and days.
Keyword Logging
In keyword logging, the computer administrator defines a word or phrase. Typing or viewing the designated keyword triggers The software application to create a contextual log of the incident.
Video Style Play Back
The monitoring program plays back all screenshots in a fashion that is similar to common video playback software.
Remote Reporting
In remote reporting, the spy program delivers reports of the captured data to the computer administrator via email, FTP (File Transfer Protocol) or manufacturer website.
Local Reporting
In local reporting, the computer administrator logs on to the computer and views the stored reports.
Emailed Reports
The computer administrator receives reports of user activity via an email account.
Keyword Alerts
When a user types or views a specific keyword or phrase, the computer administrator receives an email alert.
Website-based Reporting
To access reports of a computer’s activity, the computer administrator logs in to a website hosted by the manufacturer’s website.
Built In Reports
The monitoring application comes equipped with prewritten reports.
Searchable Reports
The computer administrator queries reports by date, time and user.
User Filter
The computer administrator queries reports by user name.
Visited Websites
The surveillance application records a history of the user’s visited websites.
Chat/IM
The spy software program captures both sent and incoming chat conversations.
Online Searches
Online Searches is a term used to describe the words or phrases a user types into a search engine to locate related content.
Usernames & Passwords
The combination of a username and password are required to access some email, social networking websites and other accounts.
Sent & Received Email
The software captures the contents of sent and received email.
A social networking and social media website
MySpace
A social networking and social media website
A social networking and microblogging web service
Flikr
An image and video hosting web service
Porn
Pornography websites contain pictures and videos of explicit sexual subject matter. These sites are not appropriate for children.
Online Games
The playing of computer games over a group of internet-connected PCs. Online games may be played with other individuals or as a solitary activity.
Online Gambling
Online gambling is the making of cash bets to play games that can result in cash payoffs but more commonly cash losses.
Online Dating
Dating websites allow individuals to make contact with other individuals for the forming of a potential romantic relationship.
Webmail
Email exchanges that take place via the web browser rather than traditional email programs.
Blog
The purpose of a blog is to serve as vehicle for making online diary entries, commentary, thoughts about world happenings and more.
Email Attachments
An email attachment is a document or picture that is sent with an email message.
App Blocking
Application blocking prevents a computer user from loading and using a specified application such as an internet browser or word processing software.
Internet Filtering
The software filters and blocks questionable web content.
Keyword Alert
When a keyword is typed, the program alerts the computer administrator, usually via email, of a potential threat or compromising situation.
Social Network Blocking
The application prevents the user from accessing social network or social media websites.
Pornography Blocking
The application blocks content that contains sexually explicit subject matter.
Keyword Blocking
The application blocks content that contains designated keywords.
Category Blocking
The software blocks content based on categories such as pornography, gambling and others.
Licenses & Support
Licenses
Licenses included means to the number of computers that may run the purchased software
Upgrade
An upgrade is a term used to define the process of updating a product to a recently released version of the software.
Free Technical Support
Free Tech Support describes the type of support that is included with a software purchase at no additional cost to the customer.
Operating Systems
Windows 7
Microsoft Windows 7 is the latest version of Microsoft’s computer desktop operating system.
Mac OS
This term indicates to the Macintosh family of operating systems.
Windows XP
Microsoft Windows XP is an older version of Microsoft’s computer desktop operating system.
Windows Vista
Microsoft Windows Vista is a discontinued version of Microsoft’s computer desktop operating system.