Electronic Surveillance Systems Flashcards
7 cards from real CSI practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Electronic Surveillance Systems flashcards as text
What is the significance of 'metadata' embedded in digital surveillance video files?
Answer: It contains information such as timestamp, GPS coordinates, and device ID that authenticates the recording
Embedded metadata provides critical authentication data including when, where, and by which device footage was captured, supporting or undermining evidentiary claims.
Under the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), a 'trap and trace' device captures:
Answer: Incoming identifying information such as caller ID data
A trap and trace device records incoming identifying information (such as the originating phone number) rather than the content of communications.
A surveillance system's 'field of view' is widened by using a lens with a:
Answer: Shorter focal length
Shorter focal length lenses capture a wider angle of view, while longer focal lengths narrow the view and magnify distant subjects.
When conducting a stationary surveillance of a subject's residence, what is the most important pre-operational step?
Answer: Conducting a route survey and identifying the optimal observation point
A pre-operational route survey allows the investigator to identify effective observation positions, escape routes, cover stories, and potential detection risks before committing to the location.
Which protocol is commonly used to synchronize the time across multiple IP cameras and recorders in a surveillance network?
Answer: NTP (Network Time Protocol)
NTP synchronizes clocks across networked devices, ensuring that timestamps on footage from multiple cameras are consistent and accurate for forensic analysis.
In video forensics, 'de-interlacing' is necessary when:
Answer: Analyzing footage captured by older analog cameras that recorded in interlaced format
Interlaced video from analog systems alternates odd and even scan lines, and de-interlacing combines them into full progressive frames for clearer still-image analysis.
A subject under surveillance begins performing 'surveillance detection routes' (SDRs). This indicates the subject:
Answer: Is attempting to identify and confirm whether they are being followed
SDRs are deliberate routes designed to expose surveillance operatives by creating choke points and opportunities where followers would be forced to reveal themselves.