One of the more interesting developments in technology over the last several years has been the advent of mobile agent technology. This technology allows for scripts to move freely and autonomously from hos to host, and to then execute predefined scripts on their new destination. This is a technology that offers many possibilities but also raises serious questions.
Mobile agent technology is remarkable in that it is completely self-contained and self-directed. It can send itself to another computer and then execute a script on that computer. And although it must initially be directed to move from one computer to another, it can then choose on its own to migrate to or from hosts. If a computer loses network connectivity, the agent can continue fulfilling its task, which can offer a real productivity boost.
Of course, while the technology is indeed impressive, it also has raised some concerns from privacy advocates. In today’s climate, there is constant discussion over privacy issues as it relates to computing and the internet, with controversy over the use of cookies for targeting and tracking, as well as the sharing of user data by many sites.
Because this technology is being used in conjunction with some extremely sensitive data including information related to your identity and finances, the privacy and security debate is one that will continue to occur around it. With unscrupulous parties always looking for ways to obtain that information, the threat of them tapping into a host that contains a mobile agent and obtaining information that way is one that must continuously be monitored. So while thise technology offers interesting potential for industry, it is not without risk.