Too often, corporations or individuals hire a professional provider of technical surveillance countermeasures (TSCM) or “bug sweeping” only after strongly suspecting that they are a victim of eavesdropping. While it may seem like a logical approach to check your suspicions first, the decision to delay can be an irresponsible and costly choice. Every minute that an illegal intruder maintains access to your information is valuable to the intruder and costly to you. The longer you wait, the more opportunity an intruder has to collect enough sensitive, competitive, company-owned, or harmful personal information to cause irreparable harm to your business—or to you.

Why are corporations and/or executives hesitant to quickly contract with a TSCM/Bug Sweep vendor?? Fear is a key reason executives delay hiring a TSCM professional service provider. It could be the fear that competitors or employees will recognize the company, or its executives, suspect they are vulnerable to illegal espionage. The simple fact of recognizing that the company or its executives are exposed and/or having to obtain authorization from the owner(s), Directors, etc. it can be difficult. The need to obtain clearance from corporate advisers and/or financial decision makers is another key reason for the delay. And, executives who make the decision to proceed with a bug sweep may also be dismissed as paranoid by their coworkers. Who wants their coworkers to think they are paranoid? But no matter what the motivation for the decision to delay, the perceived vulnerability is not going to “just go away.” And, the lack of quick and decisive action can be the beginning of the end for the corporation and/or executives. Is it responsible to forego taking action because you are afraid of the ramifications? If indeed your company or its executives are the victims of eavesdropping, it is remiss to allow the exposure to continue.

Is this a dramatic statement? What if the illegal spy planted an audio listening device in the offices of the Director of Sales and the Director of Accounting? Every word spoken in these two offices, whether by two or more people or while these executives are busy on corporate or personal phone calls, can be heard and/or recorded by the intruder. If the batteries in a small voice-activated listening device run for two weeks or more, how much valuable information could the intruder steal? The intruder could learn the names of existing customers, potential customers, suppliers, financial information, pricing strategies, billing information, confidential product order specifications, marketing plans, etc. How much valuable information is shared just in the offices of these two directors in a span of two weeks? For an illegal spy, it’s a gold mine! And, if you work in a highly competitive industry or manage highly regulated or valuable technology, the ramifications can escalate dramatically. Now consider that the illegal spy may have hacked into the executives’ email accounts and/or installed keyloggers on the executives’ computers. The potential exists for simply devastating results! And, if these executives handle confidential or proprietary customer information that they are required to keep confidential (i.e., through a Non-Disclosure Agreement), or if they handle information subject to strict government control (i.e., ammunition list products , other highly regulated industries/products, patents). pending technology, etc.) has a duty and obligation to ensure that your corporate information is not shared with restricted companies, countries and/or individuals.

Is wiretapping not a federal crime? Yes! 18 USC Sec. 2512 states that the manufacture, distribution, possession, and advertising of devices for the interception of wired, oral, or electronic communications is prohibited. And, it doesn’t matter if the illegal espionage activity is perpetrated against a company, an executive, an inventor or an individual. Everything is illegal. Unfortunately, the chance that an intruder can be effectively identified and prosecuted may be less than you think.

What do I do if I discover illegal electronic devices? One of the most important things you can do once you suspect a hack is to act as “normal” as possible in the area of ​​concern, so that the intruder is not “warned.” Then contact a professional TSCM provider outside of your physical area of ​​interest using a phone you believe is not bugged. This means contacting the TSCM provider from an area outside of your office, car, or home. A professional spy will target locations/places where they hope you feel comfortable discussing information freely. That means your office, elevator, car, cell phone; purse, wallet, bedroom, etc. they are all choice targets for a spy. When you feel comfortable, you will discuss confidential, proprietary, or personal information that is valuable to a spy. You should also be aware that the intruder may expect a local TSCM company to be called in to handle their task. Therefore, contracting with a TSCM service provider that is located outside of your geographic area, that operates covertly, may be your best option. And you should consider that if an illegal spy has your company or executives under electronic audio surveillance, they may also be conducting some degree of visual surveillance of your company or executives. Nothing can sound an alarm for an illegal intruder like a van with the TSCM company logo arriving at your office or home. Discreet is the best!

Why not let the intruder know you’re after them?If the intruder suspects that you are aware of the illegal activity, they are likely to remove the spy devices at the first perceived “safe” opportunity, especially if the perpetrators are an employee, part of the cleaning crew, etc. who has routine access to the office(s) and/or home(s) of the executive(s). Sure, you want the devices removed so the surveillance stops, but your goal should be to find out who bugged you, who authorized the interception operation, and/or what potential damage they can cause with the information they’ve taken. The best-case scenario would be for illegal trespassers to be prosecuted, but the chances of that happening are less than you might think. Damage control is most important for any business or individual that has been the target of an illegal espionage attack. That should be your focus!

What motivates an illegal spy?It’s really a matter of how valuable your information is! An illegal intruder is a risk taker who is willing to risk discovery when installing the devices and/or after their eavesdropping operation is in progress. Their goal is to gain access to the right type of information and steal as much of this valuable information as possible. They are your adversary and they will do whatever it takes to win. The more harmful the information, the more useful it will be to the illegal intruder and/or the company or person who hired them to put you under surveillance.

Why hire a professional TSCM provider? When you start pricing your professional bug sweeping task, you may be surprised by the cost. It is not a minor expense, but it is a much-needed expense. Buying a bargain for a professional TSCM bug sweep is not the best approach. With a TSCM bug sweep, you get what you pay for! Don’t be fooled by a private investigator giving you a low quote; It’s not the bargain you think it is. What you need is a TSCM Bug Sweep performed by a competent, trained, trained and well-equipped TSCM professional. Most have decades of experience developing their interview, visual inspection, and electronic detection skills, and are familiar with the most common and new emerging threats and the proper detection methods. They live and breathe TSCM and their opponent is the illegal spy. Private investigators have their talents and skills, and with the exception of a few, TSCM is typically not their area of ​​expertise. Hire a professional TSCM debugging provider!

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