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In Webster’s dictionary, surveillance is defined as “close observation of a person or group especially of one under suspicion.” The literal definition is confined to the act of passive observation, which in itself has little value in our business. Monitoring and reconnaissance are other terms that are used interchangeably. Reconnaissance is defined as a mission that requires active participation rather than simple passive observations. In military parlance, surveillance and reconnaissance are clearly distinguished. Both involve observations using similar sensors, platforms, and communications but differ from each other in that surveillance is systematic and continuous but reconnaissance is not.

The word monitoring is interchangeably used with surveillance, and to some it implies more than the act of observing (i.e., it includes the analysis and prediction components). For purists, surveillance has the connotation of passive activity while monitoring implies somewhat active participation. Canonically speaking, we use these terms under a broader umbrella of activities underlying the processes. Both of these terms are used interchangeably in this book.

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