Harvester - Content Management

Harvester

Compliance Monitoring Software

" Designed to scan and detect content across networks and the internet to help satisfy any corporate compliancy policy. "

Download Datasheet - 381kb

How it Works

Harvester Compliance software is an application designed to automatically retrieve information in the form of image and video content from internet web sites and news groups, as well as from standalone and networked PCs and servers. The data scanned is passed to a number of plug-in filters that automatically classify the content. The results are reported back in customizable analytical formats for forensic review by the person or persons using the software.

Harvester is a highly effective tool for use in detecting pre fingerprinted image and video file content as well as dynamically detecting inappropriate image content. It is ideally suited as a Compliance Monitoring software management tool for use on corporate and institutional networks, social networking web sites and in other communities which host large volumes of user generated content. This forensic software tool is aimed at content owners, enterprises and website owners to help identify content types.

Harvester's image mapping methodology accurately matches exact and closely matched frames for optimum reliability. Typically snippets of a video lasting only 15 seconds can be successfully matched against original files in this way. Detailed reporting of web sites scanned and files matched/not matched are generated and exported to data sheets for forensic confirmation.

Web crawling detection can be improved by using these reports to monitor content reappearing on detected URLs.

Software Plugins to Harvester Software

Similis Image Fingerprinting

The Similis image plug-in to Harvester Compliance software provides a method of fingerprinting image content that is typically found across company and institutional networks. Although other fingerprinting systems exist for document detection and MD5# matching, Similis specifically fingerprints images providing a number of distinct advantages that can substantially increase effectiveness when there is a need to keep track of what is being stored on a network and by whom. When an image is fingerprinted by the Similis system not only will the original image be detected but so will versions of the same image that have been altered, edited or resaved in different image file formats.

Using Harvester software with the Similis plug-in is easy. After running a network scan selected images can be quickly fingerprinted and the next time a scan is carried out the software will detect the fingerprinted images but also images that have been edited and altered in some way.

Altered Images

Images are commonly altered in a number of ways to escape detection from MD5# filtering. Such methods include: Resizing, file format change, color changing, flipping, mirroring, rotation, cropping addition of text, turning to monochrome, turning to negative. Depending on the degree of change, Similis is successfully able to detect fingerprinted images altered in these ways.

Accuracy

Independent testing confirms high levels of accuracy for matching altered images details of which can be supplied upon request.

Similis Image Usage Case

In the digital world in which we now live it is difficult to keep up to date with the different types of content being circulated and stored by end users. Unacceptable images may include subjects such as terror, hate, and bullying, defamatory, libelous or controversial religions. One of the issues we face is how to determine if media content is unacceptable and how companies and institutions really know what is actually stored on their networks. Similis gives an organisation a tool to enable it to collect information about the media stored on its network and where it is located. Once the information has been collected into an easy to read report, the system administrator can then fingerprint, track and enforce company rules on its employees. Similis lets the organization decide what content is either acceptable or unacceptable by providing a quick, easy and cost effective way of empowering system administrators to perform the task without costly overheads while substantially reduce risk to an organization.

Integration to Existing Platforms and Workflows

Harvester Compliancy software and its associated plug-ins have small footprints of less than 2MB and can easily plug-in to existing automated review systems. Harvester and associated plug-ins can be supplied as a total software system or as APIs with DLLs to enable easy integration into customers’ existing work flow architecture. The scanning results are reported in XML and score values can be fed to existing automated systems to provide coordinated return values. Alternatively Harvester comes with its own customizable GUI as shown in the evaluation software or may be used by customers in its present form. Harvester operates effectively at all levels.