Technical Surveillance and You!

Standard security measures

• Door and window locks• Intruder alarm• External and internal CCTV• Manned reception/security• Security fencing• Firewalls

“THE FORTRESS MENTALITY”

All standard security measures are designed to

deter, defeat or detect an OVERT threat or to keep out what is already out.

What is technical surveillance?

The use of electronic devices

to covertly observe, monitor, and record

the conversations and movements

of an individual or organisation

without their knowledge or consent

in order to ascertain their past, present, and future intentions.

REMEMBER!

• Technical surveillance is often the key intelligence and information gathering tool and will be complimented by other covert tactics and used to corroborate intelligence and information gathered by other means.

• It is the most cost effective way of obtaining direct information about the subject YOU or YOUR business

Technical surveillance urban myths

• It is staff intensive.

• It is resource intensive.

• It is expensive.

• It only happens on the TV or is conducted only by spies.

The urban myth

Surveillance van exterior Surveillance van interior

The reality

• Advances is technology have led to the provision of low cost, low technology user friendly devices.

• Devices are obtainable from numerous sources.• A technical surveillance capability is now

available to everyone including the man in the street.

The reality

Device supply in the UK

• 50 online UK shops.

• Major high street store with over 150 retail outlets in the UK.

• Unknown number of electronic specialists building devices to order.

• Delivery from an unknown number of online and high street outlets worldwide via courier.

Motivating factors

• Money

• Power

• Influence

Where does it take place?

Anywhere YOU, YOUR affairs, or YOUR business is discussed or conducted ie YOUR home, office, hotel, even in YOUR vehicle.

Categories of subject

Domestic• Straying spouses, divorces, custody claims,

estate settlements, family disputes.

Celebrity• Any high profile individual, their friends,

associates and staff.

Corporate• Large businesses, public sector organizations,

any high profile or controversial organisation, those involved in research, contracts, mergers, and takeovers.

Government • MP’s, civil servants, embassies and trade

delegations.

What information do they seek?

• Personal. Information about YOU!

• Business. Information about YOUR business!

• Leverage. Information which if disclosed would cause substantial embarrassment or loss of credibility to the subject YOU! This makes YOU vulnerable to blackmail or other forms of coercion.

Types of surveillance device

• Improvised

Built for another purpose

• Dedicated

Built specifically to obtain information

Improvised surveillance devices

Dedicated surveillance devices

• Microphone and listener• Microphone and recorder• Analogue and digital radio transmitters (RF

and GSM) • Optical devices (laser/infra red)• Vibration devices (accelerometers)• Covert cable

Probe and parabolic microphones

GSM UHF

Optical Vibration

REMEMBER!

• Devices can record audio, visual or both.• Due to their size devices can be concealed:• On the person• In personal items• In furniture or office equipment• In fixtures and fittings such as electrical power

points.

Device life expectancy

Limited Life Device • Operates from a battery source. If

undiscovered and dependant on usage can remain operational for up to SIX MONTHS.

Infinity Device • Wired into the mains electricity. If undiscovered

will transmit FOREVER subject to fair wear and tear of the device.

Surveillance in your workplace

For the purposes of this scenario and ease of explanation we will use an office facility but the principal remains the same for the home, hotel and vehicle.

Try to think of this as YOUR office facility with YOUR rooms full of YOUR company’s possessions, IT, documentation, and staff.

Your office facility

Your main office area

Your conference room

Your office

Ask yourself

• Who has access to your office facility?

• Who is there legitimately?

• Do you know where they go once inside?

• Let us see who has access to your office.

Management and staff

Maintenance staff

Contractors and sub contractors

Clients

Others

Ask yourself.

• Do you know who they really are?

• Do you know what they really do and who they really work for?

• Do you know their real circumstances?

REMEMBER!

• People are not always what they appear to be.

• Some including staff may have other motivating factors or another agenda.

• If that is so what is it?

A device in your office? Think!

• Where is it?

• What does it look like?

• Who put it there?

• How long has it been there?

• What are the consequences for you, your staff, and your business?

Where is it?

What does it look like?

How long has it been there?

What are the consequences?

Concealment!

• The previous images illustrated items that historically have been used to conceal covert electronic audio visual devices.

Who may have put it there?

Unscrupulous media

P.I. Pressure Group

Criminals Competitors

Expartners Coerced staff

Terrorists Foreign powers

Consequences

• The results of a successful technical surveillance operation on you or your business may be one or more of the following!

Adverse media coverage and loss of court settlements.

Financial loss, falling share prices, loss of stock, takeover.

Loss of research and contracts.

Lay offs and illicit staff recruitment

Terrorist attack

Facts

• Bugging breaches your human rights and may also involve the commission of other civil and criminal offences.

• 70% of private investigators/private intelligence gathering organisations admitted to using covert devices to obtain information.

• It is estimated that 200,000 surveillance devices are sold each year in the UK.

• There are 50 online shops and a major high street store selling off the shelf low cost, low technology devices.

• Devices that are discovered are often anonymous and cannot be traced to a perpetrator.

• It is the most cost effective way of gaining direct information about YOU and YOUR business.

• Many individuals or organisations who are bugged put the consequences down to bad luck even though they will have considered bugging a possibility.

Make it difficult for them!

• Control movement into and within premises.• Implement a tiered information structure within the

company.• Establish a safe room for sensitive meetings.• Conduct a Premises Threat Assessment to identify and

negate sources or potential sources of information compromise.

• Have premises electronically swept at irregular intervals.

• Establish a TSCM policy and adhere to it.

What to do?

• Do not discuss your suspicions in the area you believe to be bugged.

• Tell only those who need to know of your suspicions.

• Reschedule sensitive meetings.• Use a safe telephone to contact Merloc TSCM

on 08003134409 or 07944294694.• For further information visit our website

www.merloctscm.co.uk

Thank you for you taking time to read this and remember.

“Time spent on reconnaissance is seldom wasted”

J.Mercer

Merloc TSCM