While it is possible to use an automated “web crawling” system to search out your exposed exam content online, human "web patrolling" is the best approach.
We live in an increasingly automated age. Just today, I deposited a check using online banking, ordered my groceries online, followed Google Maps to avoid a traffic jam, was alerted by my car that it needs an oil change, and scheduled a doctor’s appointment through an app on my phone. Automated technology is transforming our way of life, and in many cases, is saving us time, money, and headaches. I’ll be the first to admit that, in many cases, I’m a big fan of the role automated technology is playing in my life.
However, there times when relying on automated technology limits rather than helps. Just think about the last time you tried to communicate your unique needs to an automated customer service number. If you are like me, you found yourself yelling “representative” after just a couple of frustrating minutes. In fact, recognizing this limitation, many customer service hotlines have since pulled back their reliance on a purely automated model, and instead use automation to get you in contact with the correct human representative faster and more efficiently. Sometimes, you just need a human to help you.
The same problems you face when battling a robotic voice over the telephone apply to online security. Let me explain how.
Regardless of whether you test remotely or in a testing center, every testing organization knows it needs to be worried about its proprietary test content (items and answer keys) being stolen, then shared and sold on the internet. As Jane Austen (sort of) says, “It is a truth universally acknowledged that live test questions are frequently shared online, and unethical test takers find and use them with alarming ease.”
As such, it is the responsibility of every testing organization to do their best to find and remove any and all test content exposed online—before it causes irreparable damage. It is at this point we can learn lessons from ineffective automated customer support systems. While it is possible to use an automated “web crawling” system to search out your exposed exam content, is this really the best idea?
For those of you who don’t know, a web crawler (sometimes known as a “spiderbot”) is an automated algorithm that crawls and indexes the internet, looking for data such as your leaked test content. In an ideal world, you plug in what you want the crawler to find, then it simply scours the internet until it finds it.
On the other hand, “web patrolling,” rather than using a computer bot, relies on well-trained humans to search known hotspots for exposed content and then gets it removed.
At first glance, you might think that this is a perfect moment for automated technology to step in and take the place of human workers. But can algorithms really guarantee your online security? Unfortunately, not quite. Web crawlers are limited in distinct and undeniably impactful ways that restrict their ability to effectively search for exposed exam content online.
Like with automated customer service calls, finding stolen exam content is one instance when the human element isn’t just nice, it is needed. Here are five reasons to rely on living, breathing web patrolling experts instead of an automated bot:
As we march into the era of automation, it behooves us to remember that algorithms have limitations. Of course, that’s not to say that algorithmic, automated technologies should not be used as important analytical and investigative tools in the right context—they are powerful tools and absolutely should be.
However, online security is, and likely always will be, a human enterprise—demanding flexibility, adaptability, intelligence, and wisdom. Automated technologies still can’t live up to the benefits that only flesh-and-blood human web patrolling professionals can provide. And while automated web crawlers can assist, human web patrollers should always be at the center of your web monitoring solution.