PC abuse logged, tagged by new security system

Two British companies have come up with a new system that will monitor company PCs for abuse, including criminal activity.

Security company 3ami and storage specialist BridgeHead Software Ltd. claim the Monitoring, Auditing & Security (MAS) system is able to track and store details of every action performed at a PC over time, including taking screenshots of open applications. This information could be retrieved at a later point and would be time-stamped to be legally admissible if a situation went to court.

Examples of abuse are detection of conventional issues such as time wasting and the installation of unapproved software, but the system would also track more sophisticated problems such use of derogatory language in emails, copying of confidential files, and attempts by criminals to subvert organizations from within.

It will also track when users try to hide their tracks by saving files with new file names, copying them to any attached drives or using external applications such as Webmail to send them out of the network.

The monitoring system and management console had been developed by 3ami and released as a stand-alone product several months ago but adding Bridgehead Software