Network Monitoring
When a complaint regarding questionable or illegal content arises, authorities often go straight to the web host. For the hosting company, this can cause several complications that range from bad publicity to the interruption of service. In a worst-case scenario, the host’s equipment can be confiscated, essentially turning off the host’s operations. Philbert Shih, a writer for Web Host Monthly, states, “Hosts who do not take care to scrutinize the content on their networks can encounter certain difficulties. Just a single complaint about a site's content can have far-reaching consequences. First, the host is now aware of the illegal content and hence susceptible to liability. Second, the news can spread, creating a damaging public relations scenario. Third, even if the complaint were a small matter, a provider could rack up significant legal expenses defending itself. And finally, a complaint could ultimately draw the attention of authorities, leading to a disruptive investigation.” 9
Some hosts have started to take some preventative actions like screening their customers. Another way a host can help protect their company is to actively monitor the content on their network. Monitoring, especially for large hosts, is very difficult. The computational resources to properly monitor for questionable content can be expensive and difficult to run. What hosts need is technology that is capable of assisting the monitoring process – enter the Google Search Appliance (GSA). 9
The GSA is a combination of hardware and software that leverages Google’s cutting edge search engine technology. The GSA is flexible and easy to deploy. Also, the GSA is not platform dependent and able to “crawl” across the network looking at all the machines without regard to their specific operating system.
The negative publicity and legal complications that can arise from hosting illegal content can, and will, cause damage to a host’s reputation. Hosts should take all the necessary steps to steer clear of legal issues so that resources remain focused on maintaining uninterrupted service. Monitoring and tracking the content on the network is an option that all hosts should consider. 9