A system for network content monitoring and control, comprising: a
transport data monitor, connectable to a point in a network, for
monitoring data being transported past said point, a signature extractor,
associated with said transport data monitor, for extracting a derivation
of said data, said derivation being indicative of content of said
payload, a database of preobtained signatures of content whose movements
it is desired to monitor, and a comparator for comparing said derivation
with said preobtained signatures, thereby to determine whether said
payload comprises any of said content whose movements it is desired to
monitor. The monitoring result may be used in bandwidth control on the
network to restrict transport of the content it is desired to control.