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TACTICAL SURVEILLANCE COUNTER MEASURES (TSCM)

Have your communications been compromised? How would you know?

Corporate espionage in the global marketplace is real and on the rise. Its many forms may include the threat of kidnapping and extortion, stalkers, or intrusions into your private affairs, among others.

But by far the most pervasive of these forms is the utilization of electronic surveillance devices to secretly acquire information.

State of the Art Solutions

Able Legal Investigations will conduct an Electromagnetic Spectrum sweep for the purpose of isolating the presence of free space transmissions as in covert video transmissions. Carrier current sweeps can be conducted as well. The sweep checks determine low frequency (VLF) carrier current devices as well as radiating intercoms. The source will activate voice actuated (VOX) transmitters and will provide a noticeable signal on the spectrum analyzer.

Telephones and telephone lines are tested with a Balanced Audio Coupler telephone analyzer. This test will detect abnormal line voltages which would indicate a shunt or parallel type device loading the line. The test will also detect any series type device connected to the line. Each telephone is tested with a sweeping tone of sufficient amplitude to trigger any tone-activated device that could be activated from remote locations.

All combinations of wire pairs from each phone are tested for audio. This detects tampering with the phone instrument which allows the microphone to remain active while the phone is on the hook. It also detects rewiring of the instrument so that telephone or room audio would be transmitted on wires other than the normal telephone pair.

A high gain audio amplifier is also used to detect and identify certain types of surveillance devices attached to building wiring such as telephone, LAN server systems, AC power, alarm wiring, etc.

Compromised Security, Confidentiality

Low cost, readily available electronic equipment can seriously compromise your security and your confidentiality.

Able Legal Investigations provides its clients with expert countermeasures services, also known as debugging. Our skilled personnel can conduct electronic sweeps of your business and residential premises that will detect even the most sophisticated devices. If you suspect your business or your personal confidentiality is in jeopardy or has been compromised, Able's Countermeasures Unit is the solution.

Countering Tech Threats with Greater Sophistication

The revelation of the identity of Deep Throat, the secret source of the Watergate scandal, is a reminder of an old threat we still face today known as "bugging" or, as those in the business call it, "tactical surveillance." Receiving information about a victim through audio or video surveillance provides an attacker with a wealth of information. And, as today's electronics become more sophisticated, bugging equipment once available only to spies is now easily obtainable on the Internet. In response to this threat, many corporations have started to perform bug sweeps or Tactical Security Counter Measure (TSCM) operations, with the help of outside contractors.

TSCM is a specialized area, and performing a sweep requires expensive equipment that needs regular updating. As a result, sweeps can be pricey, although not as pricey as the losses from a bugged office. Many firms charge more than $10,000 for one floor of an office building. Therefore, you may want to limit the scope of the sweep to especially sensitive areas such as corporate management offices, boardrooms, etc. If you take this approach, it is important to remember to limit sensitive discussions to the "cleared" areas.

When researching vendors, ask about the equipment and techniques they use. Legitimate TSCM firms are up front about their techniques and technology. To find out if a potential vendor is legitimate, ask for references and seek out recommendations. Your local chapter of the FBI InfraGard or Secret Service Electronics Crimes Task Force may be a good place to start. Industry associations, such as the American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS), may also be of help.

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Technologies of TSCM

To help weed out the wannabes, let's take a closer look at five basic technologies used by genuine TSCM operators:

  • Detection of electronics. More sophisticated surveillance devices can be turned on and off as needed. When a bug is turned off, it does not transmit any RF signals and is therefore invisible to RF detection devices. In order to find these stealthy devices, the TSCM professional will turn to a Non Linear Junction Detector (NLJD). The NLJD looks a bit like one of those metal detectors they used to sell in the back of comic books. It works by sending out RF signals tuned to cause the semiconductors in electronic devices to resonate, even if they are powered off. During a sweep, the TSCM operator passes the NLJD over every surface in the office, looking for electronics in places where they should not be.
  • Heat can be another telltale sign that electronics are present. Because small heat variations may point to a power supply, a TSCM toolkit should include a thermal imager, which the operator uses to scan the office and objects in it. If hot spots are found in unlikely places, a manual inspection is conducted to determine if they are from suspect devices.
  • Phone and power lines are also popular places for the placement of surveillance devices. Phone lines provide power, access to conversations and other information, and a way for attackers to receive information. Power lines can provide power to devices hidden in electrical outlets and transmit information out of the area under surveillance. The TSCM operator will use equipment to detect anomalous behavior on these lines, such as voltage drops or the presence of sub carriers.
  • Some surveillance devices may use infrared light to transmit their signals back to an attacker. An infrared viewer may reveal the presence of these devices. The TSCM operator scans the area looking for questionable IR sources and then investigates them further manually.

Like other forms of security testing, TSCM sweeps provide you with a snapshot of conditions at a particular time. For continued assurance that your offices are "clean" of surveillance devices, you'll need to repeat sweeps periodically. Most vendors provide some sort of "volume discount" for annual or biannual services.

TSCM services are not for every company, but if the disclosure of conversations or phone calls in your offices would cause irreparable harm to your business, you should consider checking to see if your walls have ears.

PLEASE DO NOT CALL US FROM A SUSPECT TELEPHONE OR FACILITY WHEN INQUIRING ABOUT OUR DEBUGGING SWEEP SERVICES AND SURVEYS.


BSIS

Bureau of Security
and Investigative Services

LexisNexis

LexisNexis™