Information thieves are unscrupulous and will take whatever measures necessary to secure a story they can sell. There are plenty of people willing to pay too. Stolen secrets can be sold for big bucks to the media, competitors and conmen, all of whom will use them to make a small fortune.
The fact that acquiring this information is getting easier does not help matters. Electronic listening devices are more advanced, smaller, cheaper and easier to use than ever before. Micro cameras, audio recorders and GPS bugs are easily bought and within everyone's budget these days.
The variety and low cost of eavesdropping devices available also means they can be positioned in multiple locations to keep targets under almost permanent surveillance. So even if you think you have detected and disabled a bug, there may well be several more hidden around the area.
A standard telephone line can be tapped by a simple radio bugging device. These are probably one of the cheapest listening devices available and are used to pick up both sides of a telephone conversation in real time. Radio based listening devices can also be used to pick up conversations taking place in a room. The latest microphone technology and design gives these bugs a listening range of up to about 7 metres.
Most recently the biggest threat to privacy has been through the emergence of global system for mobile communications (GSM) devices. GSM devices take advantage of the global nature of the mobile telephone network to relay audio from a target's room to a phone anywhere in the world. As opposed to radio based devices, these bugs have greater flexibility as they can use a land-line, cellular or even Skype telephone connections.
More high-tech advances in electronic eavesdropping have been made with fibre optic microphones and laser microphone systems. The construction of fibre optic microphones and the way in which they operate using light makes them pretty much invisible to the human eye. A perfect choice for a eavesdroppers wanting to pick up high quality audio without detection.
Laser microphone systems are even harder to detect. They don't have to be deployed within the target area, but from a location within line of sight of the target. They use invisible laser technology to reflect and collect room audio as it resonates off hard surfaces in the room. These types of system are very expensive and are often made to resemble fairly innocent looking equipment as cameras or telescopes.
Unfortunately it's unusual to spot a bug until a leak has occurred. However, by taking sensible steps anyone who feels under threat can protect their private and confidential communications.
Adopting regular professional bug sweeps of properties, offices, boardrooms, vehicles and electronic communication devices where confidential or sensitive information is communicated is advisable.
During these bug sweeps, counter surveillance professionals carry out electronic and physical inspections of areas deemed to be under threat of listening devices. Once found they are removed and the area made safe.
By enlisting the regular help of bug sweeping professionals you are also securing your long term security as they keep themselves abreast of the many technical developments in electronic eavesdropping.
(ArticlesBase SC #3185528)
Author: Nicola Brown
Technical Surveillance Counter-Measures - Lynch Investigations & Countermeasures Pty Ltd
PJL 3rd September 2010
