Security cameras can be a powerful force against burglars. Just the sight of security cameras might scare off an intruder, because criminals don’t want to be seen or leave behind evidence. If your home is burglarized, security cameras can help police identify and find the burglar.

Digital communications are the lifeblood of modern society. We “meet up” online, tweet our reactions millions of times a day, connect through social networking rather than in person. The old surveillance paradigms do not easily fit the new technologies. By embedding eavesdropping mechanisms into communication technology itself, we are building tools that could be turned against us and opting for short-term security and creating dangerous long-term risks.