Implications of Social Media Surveillance
The Social Media Surveillance performed by Axeten simply monitors what people place in the public domain.
We have no ability to view private messages, intercept e-mail or listen to conversations.
Axeten has no business with several software companies that do provide Surveillance applications, usually to Governments.
Hacking Team, Gamma Group, NICE Systems Ltd, Macro Systems, RESI Group, FinFisher, Verint Systems Ltd have either supplied or continue to supply surveillance technology to Governments.
Their activities are monitored by Privacy International and The Citizen Lab, amongst others.
Reliable news and data on surveillance activity can be found at:
recordedfuture.com
theintercept.com
medium.com
wikileaks.com
What is Social Media Surveillance?
Research and observation of Real Actors, Fake Actors, Personas and Assets within a Social Media space to identify threats and risks.
Detection of Threats and Risks
To perform Social Media Surveillance effectively, Axeten is developing a state of the art Network Investigations Centre (NIC) that will deploy Social Media Surveillance techniques to detect and observe on-line behavior and activity that might be a threat to an Asset.
Monitoring the social networking activity of a human Asset might detect risk behaviour.
Surveillance of an Asset's known and unknown associates might detect threats.
Threats through Social Media might come from diverse and seemingly innocuous contacts and 'friends'. People, Personas and Fake Actors all pose potential threats.
Also, Social Media Surveillance provides protection for Assets that might be at risk, through their own behaviour, be that as a perpetrator or as a victim.
A skilled OSINT investigator has the ability to detect and expose the Personas and Fake Actors that might pose a threat, not only to the Asset but also to any beneficiary of the Asset's value.
Also, a skilled OSINT investigator has the ability to detect potential risk behaviour that might be perpetrated by the Asset, providing a timely opportunity to protect the Asset and all those that benefit from the Asset's value.
During the surveillance of Social Media, Axeten shall not perform any illegal act.Axeten accesses data that is in the public domain.
Proposing Social Media Surveillance
Question: So, whose Social Media accounts should be placed under surveillance?
Answer: Agents of High Value Assets and the Heads of HR Departments have a duty to be aware of threats to their clients and high value employees, that might originate through Social Media. Also, Agents and Heads of HR should be diligent in their response to any hint of risk behaviour perpetrated by the Asset or high value Employee.
Question: How do I even know that any of my Assets are at risk? As their Agent, I know them well, but not that well!
Answer: With discreet, effective and well reported Social Media Surveillance, you might get to know your Assets a whole lot better.
Note: Advising an Asset or employee that their Social Media is under surveillance, might be sufficient warning to curtail any risk behaviour. But also, it might precipitate a move of their public activity into private communication channels where risk behaviour will remain undetected.
Another consideration: advising an Asset that their Social Media is being monitored might jeopardize the contract and may even result in litigation. It is preferable that the Asset understands the potential threats to themselves, so that they pro-actively support the surveillance.
The Agent or Employer might choose to include a clause in their contract with the Asset, that explicitly requires the Agent to provide protection and to perform social media surveillance on behalf of the Asset, to mitigate against threats and risks that might be perpetrated through social media channels.
The surveillance of an Asset may have value, to detect risk behaviour. The surveillance of the Actors & Personas in the Asset's social media space is deployed to detect threat. Usually, threat detection is more in demand and has more value. Where the Asset is not actively under Surveillance, the Asset's risk activity is only detected through communication with an Actor or Persona.
The Process of Social Media Surveillance
A Surveillance plan shall be tailored to each Asset, depending on their known behaviour and activity, both on and offline, that might pose a risk or attract a threat.
Axeten default plan:-
- Determine the space
- Identify Known and Real Actors & Personas (including the Asset)
- Categorize the Known and Real Actors & Personas
- Threat Assessment: Grade the threat levels of Known and Real Actors & Personas
- Identify the Residual Actors & Personas
- Categorize the Actors & Personas
- Threat Assessment: Grade the threat levels of Unknown Actors, Personas and Fake Actors
- Implement Observation on Actors and Personas in line with Actor Threat Assessment and Asset Risk Assessment
- Grade and Report all threat and risk activity
- Review of the whole Surveillance process is both event driven and periodic
The surveillance of Social Media, with secure and frequent reporting, provides our clients with the opportunity to stay ahead of undesirable outcomes, to mitigate or prevent a loss of value and, in exceptional cases, to prevent the perpetration of criminal activity.
Surveillance and reporting shall escalate in response to critical events, allowing for the preparation of a media redress and possibly, to avert risk activity.
The Cost of Surveillance
Several applications are deployed to reduce the cost and increase the effect of large space Surveillance.
Axeten investigators record all actions, and the time spent on each action.
The time spent on Surveillance is the billed at the same hourly rate as a Detailed Investigation.
Each Surveillance incurs a minimum budget to determine the space and set-up the Surveillance.
Where, an Asset attracts a high level of potential threat activity, and where an Asset exhibits a high level of risk prone behaviour, space determination and set-up fees might be considerable.