New Surveillance System in the Decca Commissary - Assignment Example

New Surveillance System in the Decca Commissary for Watching Illegal Activity Introduction Surveillance use specifically in the criminal justice system for watching illegal activities is a controversial subject in the social justice rationalization of the civil justice ethics of mass surveillance. The ethical controversy on the use of surveillance technology in the criminal justice system often revolves around its infringement of the personal and political liberties of the citizen. Besides the social justice and civil liberties controversy surrounding surveillance issues in the criminal justice system, the issue is also faced with various technological shortcomings in the nature of the integrity of a specific surveillance technology from malicious manipulation and compromise. Counter-surveillance is the chief evil of the technological gimmicks employed to circumvent surveillance or to compromise the functionality of a surveillance technology to function properly (Haritaoglu & Harwood, 2000). Sousveillance or inverse surveillance is also exploited for unauthorized and sometimes cheeky surveillance by individuals. These gimmicks subsequently affect the use of surveillance technology for both deterrence and prosecution uses in the criminal justice system. A couple of solutions are available to circumvent the social justice and civil liberties ethics shortcomings of surveillance technology. Various technological innovations have also exists for sustaining and enhancing the integrity functionality of surveillance technology for its use in the deterrence and prosecution of illegal activities. Amongst these is the use of the technical surveillance counter-measures (TSCM) to enhance the integrity of surveillance technology through its detection of technical counter-surveillance devices within a surveillance neighborhood, together with the integrity shortcoming of a surveillance technology which abate its penetration in counter-surveillance. This research thus explores the competitive ethical and integrity effectiveness, efficiency and shortcomings of the various surveillance technologies implemented for illegal activities in the criminal justice system. The research then proceeds to indentify the best surveillance technology for use in Decca commissary based on its ethical and integrity rationality competitiveness in upholding both addressing the civil liberties concern in surveillance without the compromise of its functionality integrity from counter-surveillance (Grunbaum et al, 2004). Literature Review Closed-circuit television (CCTV) CCTV Functionalities Closed-circuit television (CCTV) is the predominant surveillance system in the developed countries with United Kingdom toppling the list of CCTV camera per person in the entire globe with an approximate of one camera per 14 people. The technology is attributed with various functionality benefits in the criminal justice system for it use in the deterrence and prosecution of criminal activities. CCTV camera utilize video cameras for the point to point/multipoint/mesh wireless transmission of signals to discrete locations on a couple of computer systems. The technology is utilized in both the public surveillance in situational crime prevention, criminal intelligence and in the collection, recording, transmission and of evidence for criminal justice proceedings. In addition, CCTV is also used in the private domain in various commercial settings such as industries and in retail business. CCTV is exploited to monitor industrial sections with hazardous environmental conditions to human being. This in turn avoids exposure of industrial employees from hazardous and toxicological environment thereby enhancing their occupational safety. Enhanced Benefits of CCTV Surveillance Technology CCTV is predominantly used in the criminal justice system as a tool or strategy for the deterrence of criminal activities. The technology is credited with successes in the deterrence and prevention of crime within the criminal justice fraternity. Amongst these are a couple of statistics case studies on the effectiveness of CCTV as a strategy for the deterrence, control and prosecution of crime. For instance, Welsh & Farrington (2002) research attributed 41% of car park crime reduction to installation of CCTV cameras (Welsh and Farrington, 2002). CCTV cameras are also conventionally attributed to reduction of current global security threats such as terrorism and in the apprehension of fugitive criminals. CCTV Shortcomings Despite these convectional effectiveness proofs of CCTV applicability, empirical data downplays the effectiveness of CCTV as a criminal justice tool or strategy. Amongst these empirical data include the cost benefit analysis of the cost-effectiveness of CCTV camera. For instance, the monetary unworthiness of CCTV role in the criminal justice system outweighed their installation cost. The ubiquitous installation of CCTV as earlier demonstrated by the high number of CCTV in the United Kingdom further complicates the policy rationality of CCTV installation in what is referred to as mass surveillance (Gill & Spriggs, 2005). CCTV cameras are also criticized for their infringement of civil liberties freedom specifically the right to privacy. This criticism is substantiated by a couple of court rulings, which have upheld the activist claim of public privacy room in the privacy contest against CCTV surveillance. Amongst these cases include Hepting v. A&T, Jewel v. NSA, ACLU v. NSA amongst other pending cases on the controversy surrounding the outsourcing of surveillance services to telecommunication companies by the national security agency (NSA) of the United States. Despite these controversies on the ethics of NSA surveillance issues, the courts have given NSA a fair ruling at the expense of the defense in all the civil liberties activism cases against CCTV and other surveillance technologies (Joe, 2000). Nevertheless, the civil libertarian activism against CCTV infringement of public service has made significant progress. Amongst these successes is the enactment of the Data Protection Act (DAT) of 1988, which checks the ubiquitous proliferation of CCTV in the public places in the United Kingdom. DAT also introduces a mandatory registration requirement for all private and public CCTV with the data protection agency (DPA). These legislative provisions subsequently reduce the authoritarian proliferation of CCTV in public places. Besides the civil liberties outcry against the ubiquitous proliferation of CCTV in public spaces, the technology is also viewed as a political tool or strategy towards the evolution of a police state. This fact is cited in the blurriness of the legal provision, which lay the demarcation between private and public space. In addition, the iniquitousness of the CCTV camera coupled with the enactment of politically biased legislation such as Communication assistance for law enforcement act are also viewed as evolutionary trend towards totalitarian political agenda. Besides the ethical and political criticism of CCTV surveillance, the technology is also faced with a various technological challenges. Amongst these challenges is vandalism of CCTV by criminals whereby CCTV is deliberately or involuntary damaged or their image capturing functionality or effectiveness compromised. Various counter-surveillance technical devices such as the bug sweeping of surveillance devices signals for exploitation in the counter-surveillance compromise of surveillance devices. Despite these counter-surveillance threats a number of precautions are observed in upholding the integrity of CCTV functionality and effectiveness in surveillance. These precautions include the use of bullet/explosion/dust proof CCTV camera housings. ECHELON ECHELON’s Functionality and Effectiveness Competency ECHELON is a multinational intelligence gathering partnered by the five UKUSA security agreement including United States, Australia, Canada United Kingdom and New Zealand. The surveillance system uses a specialty software system to intercept satellite telephone and internet communication for diplomatic and political reasons. ECHELON surveillance exploits a couple of telecommunication hardware including fiber optics, and satellites. Despite its expansive application in the surveillance of both civilian and states communication traffic through tapping, the technological development in information technology has poised innovative challenges to ECHELON surveillance system to catch up with these changes. Amongst these innovative challenges include the current reduced exploitation of satellite hardware and software in local, regional and international implementation information technology links. Current data in information technology attributes satellite technology implemented information systems to a share of between 0.4 to 5% in the information technology communication market within central Europe (Lefebvre, 2003). On the other hand, the market share of fiber optics implemented information system market share has currently increased to about 99% in the entire globe according to a 2006 survey. The technology is also abused for industrial espionage as part of a competitive advantage gimmick. ECHELON’s Shortcomings ECHELON’s overreliance on surveillance interception devices localized to interception satellite transmitted communication traffic has thus rendered the technology irrelevance to the predominant optical fiber technology exploited in the current communication traffic transmission. On the current microwave signal tapping technology, this is suited for interception of optic fiber facilitated communication traffic transmission subverts its execution capabilities as an option to ECHELON’s earth stations. ECHELON has also raised similar civil liberties and ethical concerns on its infringement of the civil rights of the global community specifically the right to privacy. Governments that comprise the UKUSA security agency as partners in the ECHELON surveillance system have proposed various legislative and technological innovative measures to circumvent the privacy infringement shortcomings of ECHELON technology. Amongst these measures include the recommendation for the cryptographic conversion of public communication traffic from the UKUSA agreement member states to elude interception by ECHELON’s ground stations. In addition, proposals have been proposed for the enactment of legislations to prohibit the commercialized exploitation of ECHELON surveillance system within the UKUSA agreement member states. Magic Lantern This surveillance system exploits software program to access and decrypt confidential communication traffic transmitted or stored in computer systems. The surveillance technology mimics other hacking malware programs such as the Trojan horse. Magic lantern is best suited to circumvent the shortcomings of the physical installation of microwave signals interceptors in fiber optics espionage. Despite this success, the surveillance program is criticized as a malicious hacking gimmick that infringes on communication traffic confidentiality. Magic Lantern also complicates the anti-virus programs that detect report and destroy malicious malware and other viruses in the computer system facilitated communication transmission (Miranda, 2002). This complication is cited in the difficulty in dichotomizing government/security agencies disseminated and malicious malware in the network system. The confidentiality right bickering has also made the Magic Lantern software to be listed alongside other malicious software in the development of anti-virus software by technology firms. In addition, Magic Lantern software is exploited in illicit and malicious hacking of confidential information due to its malware software characteristics. The exploitation of Magic Lantern for malicious and criminal cyber crime leverages its benefits as a crime prevention tool/strategy. Research and Methodology/Criteria/Procedure A cost analysis is conducted on the various surveillance system posited in the literature review section. This compilation and weighting of data and information on the comparative cost of the three specific surveillance systems proposed in this research. The data include the hardware, the software and the maintenance cost of each of the three surveillance system options. Results Cost Benefit Analysis of various Surveillance Systems Surveillance System Hardware cost Software cost Maintenance cost Miscellaneous cost Total estimated cost CCTV Color CCTVs $3,065.00- $2,345.00 Portable CCTVs $1,715.00- $310.00 CCTV accessories and tables $329.00- $6.25 Scanners and readers $3,495.00- $1,895.00 Computer accessories and software $3,495.00- $2.00 $145-$258 annually in a household bedroom setting $12,357-$4703.25 ECHELON $750,000,000 $250,000,000 62,500,000 Estimated to cost several Billions of dollars(Top United States and its UKUSA agreement parties top secret) Magic Lantern $33.75 $11.25 $5.625 $95.625 (Henrys Electronic Ltd, 2012); (Achacoso, 2006); (Burghardt, 2011) Evaluation/Data Analysis section One CCTV camera per 14 people in the United Kingdom thus translates to a maximum of $54,955,109 and a minimum of 20,916,696 in the United Kingdom budget for CCTV infrastructure installation. Comparatively, sharing of ECHELON cost amongst the UKUSA agreement nations translates to an approximate individual cost of $250 for ECHELON surveillance infrastructural installation. This figure is however more than the maximum estimated cost of CCTV installation by one member of the UKUSA agreement. On the other hand, single Magic Lantern surveillance software cost a mere $95.625 for installation. Recommendation CCTV is an effective surveillance technology for use in the Decca commissary in regard to its public and private versatility and application. The localization of CCTV within Decca commissary call center also circumvents the civil liberties shortcomings of CCTV proliferation in public places (Neubauer & Fradella, 2010). In addition the enhanced housing of CCTV surveillance devices within non-interference, manipulation or destructible covers improves on the integrity of CCTV exploitation in Decca commissary. ECHELON and Magic Lantern are ruled out a suitable surveillance technology in the Decca commissary in regard to their innovative obsoleteness and their counter-surveillance or soussurveillance or inverse surveillance exploitation. The incompatibility of ECHELON with the microwave signal interception technology thus renders it irrelevant to the computerized automation of Decca commissary services and operations. On the other hand, Magic Lantern faces exploitative hostility from civil libertarians in regard to its confidentiality ethics concern rendering it ineffective in inter-organization surveillance. A number of CCTV systems are available and include the following DVR CCTV based System The system is praised for low cost and enhanced integrity from surveillance information compromise. Nevertheless, the system is faulted on the basis of its novelty inflexibility and complex installation procedure. NVR CCTV based System The system is preferred over the DVR system on the basis of its centralized surveillance system and its internet capability. In addition, the system adapts to innovation in CCTV technology integrating systems such as Mpeg 4, Motion JPEG/h.264. Nevertheless, the system incurs more installation cost than the DVR system. References Achacoso, J. (2006, June 20th). Project Echelon- better than domestic wiretapping . Retrieved December 13th, 2012, from Travel, Politics, Culture & Current Events: http://achacoso.blogspot.com/2006/06/project-echelon-better-than-domestic.html Fradella, D. W. (2010). America's courts and the criminal justice system. Belmont, Ca: Wandsworth Cegange Learning. Gill, M., & Spriggs, A. (2005). Assessing the impact of CCTV. Washington DC: Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate. Grunbaum, J.A et al. (2004). Youth risk behavior surveillance--United States. Europe PubMed Central, 53 (2), 1-96. Haritaoglu, I., & Harwood, D. (2000). Real-time surveillance of people and their activities. Browse Journals & Magazines, 22 (8), 809-830. Joe, S. C. (2000). ‘You'll never walk alone’: CCTV surveillance, order and neo-liberal rule in Liverpool city centre. The British Journal of Sociology, 51 (4), 623-639. Lefebvre, S. (2003). The difficulties and dilemmas of international intelligence cooperation. International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence, 16 (4), 547-522. Ltd, H. E. (2012, December 1). CCTV Cameras & CCTV Camera Equipment Price List. Henry's CCTV Center. Retrieved from: http://www.cctvcentre.co.uk/cctv/cctvprices.htm Miranda, W. C. (2002). The Case for Magic Lantern: September 11 Highlights the Need for Increased Surveillance. Havard Jounal of Law & Technology , 2001-2002. Welsh, B.C., & Farrington, D.P. (2002, August). Crime prevention effects of closed circuit television: A systematic review. Centre for Prpblem Oriented Policing. 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