Systems and methods for creating a detector network across one or more existing communications systems. In one implementation, a system is provided. The system includes a plurality of hosts, each host hosting one or more detectors operable to detect an occurrence of an event, the hosts including functionality that is not related to the detectors and including communication functionality. The system also includes a management device for managing the detectors and one or more communications networks linking the detectors and the management device using the communication functionality of the respective host.