Not long ago, surveillance was considered a priority for the government or spy agencies. However, many things have changed. Rapid research and development in information technology and electronic devices, coupled with their shrinking size, has made surveillance available to all of us. All you have to do is Google for GSM tracker, spy camera, hidden voice recorder. Don’t be surprised to see millions upon thousands or even millions of offers for spy gear. And it only depends on commitment and financial constraints for one to start secret surveillance. Thanks to Chinese manufacturers, tiny cameras, microphones and other tracking devices have become easy to obtain at ridiculous prices. Statistics of such equipment sales show that many people are taking advantage of this seamless access to modern spying technologies. The temptation to spy on the environment does not come only to perverted maniacs.
This article focuses on surveillance carried out in the interests of corporations, politicians, and ordinary (or not so ordinary) people.
The threat of espionage and information loss has never been greater. Today, those most exposed to eavesdropping are famous people, people with access to highly sensitive information, companies and individuals as objects of corporate espionage, offices and people involved in political campaigns, investment bankers and other investment firms.
Here is the list of the most intercepted:
- competitors or partners
- Employers against their employees
- Subordinates against their peers and superiors.
- Bidders against other bidders or against customers
- spouses and lovers
- intrusive, manic
- neighbours
The most used espionage tools and methods are:
- Micro video cameras and recorders, often disguised as various household items such as watches, key chains, lighters, etc.
- Wireless and wired microphones of various types (radio, Wi-Fi, GSM, Bluetooth, laser, infrared, stethoscope, parabolic or cannon, etc.);
- Listening software that monitors GSM phones, computers, laptops and tablets.
- Microphones that transmit information through the electrical network, internet cables or security system wiring.
- Devices that intercept electromagnetic radiation from computers, telephones, and other data processing and communication equipment.
All listed methods and devices can be considered only an illustration, since the actual number can hardly be listed.
What is common to the methods and devices listed above is that they are widely available, quite cheap to buy, and their operation does not require any special technical skills. The equipment that has access to the internet either through Wi-Fi, cellular or stationary networks can be operated anywhere in the world.
Detecting the listening devices is not an easy and simple job. The term that describes this type of activity is TSCM, which is short for Technical Surveillance Countermeasures. The TSCM survey is a service provided by qualified personnel to detect the presence of technical surveillance devices and hazards and to identify technical security weaknesses that could assist in conducting a technical penetration of the inspected facility. A TSCM survey typically consists of a thorough visual, electronic, and physical inspection inside and outside the surveyed facility. When carrying out surveillance protection, one has to be familiar with the listening methods; hardware and software products; engineering solutions used for this purpose, as well as their unmasking signs. Without this knowledge it is not possible to detect a well-hidden error.
For the proper development of this activity, it is necessary to have duly trained personnel, a good work methodology and an adequate set of technical means.
Since there are many methods of spying and many more devices are used for each method, there are many instruments to detect a bug. An example of the equipment needed for the detection of radio microphones is the radio frequency spectrum analyzer, broadband radio receiver, and a nonlinear junction detector (NLJD). And this should be considered an absolute minimum.
The issue of interception and protection against eavesdropping is complex. Both activities are developing very dynamically. Unfortunately, there is no way to pinpoint all aspects in one article. Practice shows that systematic work and funds invested in eavesdropping protection pay off sooner or later.
