Electronic Counter Surveillance

Might you suspect someone compromised your privacy and security by installing a hidden listening device in your vehicle or a hidden video camera in your home or office? We are experts with the highest credentials to perform professional Technical Surveillance Countermeasures [TSCM], also referred to as “Electronic Counter Surveillance” We use only state-of-the-art and industry-standard counter-surveillance equipment comparable to those used by the United States Government and law enforcement agencies. 

EXAMPLE OF SWEEPS WE CONDUCT

THREAT APPRAISAL AND PLAN DEVELOPMENT

​Every TSCM survey is different. Each situation is individually evaluated based on the premises, possible adversaries, and additional circumstances discovered during our initial interview with our client.

NON-ALERTING ENTRY

Our TSCM technicians know how to work covertly and in a non-alerting manner. Should someone be listening, they will not know what we’re doing. Our investigative technicians never discuss what they are doing with anyone inquiring while in a target area The non-alerting entry includes a cursory search for active cameras and eavesdropping transmitters.​

RADIOFREQUENCY SPECTRUM ANALYSIS

Several tests are conducted to locate various kinds of covert transmitters during this phase of a survey. A spectrum analyzer analyzes the radio frequency spectrum from 50 kHz to 21 GHz. All radio transmissions are viewed and listened to as they are encountered with the ANDRE’ Broad Band RF detector and the OSCOR BLUE spectrum analyzer. Specific equipment is used to detect cellular, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi signals during the radiofrequency examination. Cellular and rogue Wi-Fi transmitters currently pose a significant threat to security and privacy.

Power lines and other wiring are tested for the presence of carrier current transmitters. These are very low frequency (10 kHz to 700 kHz) transmissions with most of the radiofrequency energy remaining within the wiring. An example of a carrier current transmitter is an FM wireless intercom system. All telephone lines in the target rooms are tested for the presence of carrier current transmitters. 

TELEPHONE INSTRUMENT ​AND SYSTEM ANALYSIS

Telephone instruments, facsimile machines, speakerphones, wiring, and telephone systems are examined for the presence of listening devices. Depending on the type of telephone system, they will be tested using TALAN digital phone analyzer. When instruments are found to be free of modifications, they are sometimes sealed with a tamper-evident tag to protect against future attempts at modification. The lines are physically checked from the phone instrument to the telephone terminal closet in some cases. This is done by injecting an electronic tone into the line then tracing its path using a particular receiver that detects the tone.

The telephone terminal equipment and wiring are inspected for modifications, and any additional unauthorized equipment is documented and removed. The radio frequency spectrum is analyzed while each telephone instrument handset is alternately lifted and replaced. This procedure will activate any eavesdropping transmitter attached to the telecommunications equipment.

PHYSICAL SEARCH

Target rooms are inspected for the presence of infrared light using a viewer specifically designed to detect infrared eavesdropping transmitters and the RF aspect of detection in the RF search.

During this survey phase, each target area is examined for several types of threats. Our technicians will look for hidden microphones, suspicious wiring, concealed radio transmitters, modified communications or power equipment, and susceptibility to laser microphones. An ORION Nonlinear junction detector (NLJD) is used to check walls, ceilings, furniture, etc., for the presence of electronic devices. This includes “bugs” that have been switched off by remote control or are no longer operating because the batteries have gone dead. A high-intensity ultraviolet survey light is often used in conjunction with the NLJD to locate evidence of tampering with walls and other painted surfaces. 

A thermal imaging camera scans the target rooms from floor to ceiling. The thermal camera detects temperature variations, making anything generating heat visible. The thermal camera is sensitive enough to detect the temperature difference caused by a human hand touching a tabletop for less than one second. Metal water pipes and conduits that pass through target rooms or areas are checked to determine if they conduct audio. 

FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

An oral report is given after the survey, and a detailed written report is delivered to the location of your choice via email or Federal Express within five business days. The comprehensive report is proof of your due diligence and helps satisfy your requirement to protect proprietary data as described in the Economic Espionage Act of 1996. The report includes objective and reasonable recommendations to improve security and serves as an independent security audit. If a hostile eavesdropping device is discovered, there is an obligation to notify law enforcement. We recommend that the notification be made to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Failure to notify proper authorities that a felony has been committed is itself a felony under the United States Code Title 18, Part I, Chapter 1, Section 4.

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