How to Know if You Are Being Monitored Covertly
We post an awful lot of content on here regarding actual surveillance. How about some counter surveillance measures you can take with you?
1. Do others seem to know confidential information or perhaps trade secrets?
Sprinkler Head Spy Camera
This is the number one sign of covert eavesdropping. Theft of information is a multi-billion dollar underground industry in the U.S. alone. Loss of confidentiality can show up in in subtle ways, so trust your instinct. Is your installer all of a sudden not interested in work? He may have figured out how you are building DVRs and decided to do the same thing for himself. If competitors, relatives, or loved ones hint at or blatantly share information that they should not have, eavesdropping may be involved.
2. Secret meetings and bids seem less than secret.
Private meetings and bids are common targets for corporate spies. Does somebody know that you met a potential client regarding that bid? How would you like your equipment list and bid price to become public knowledge? Do you have designs for products that would be valuable to competitors? Did somebody come in just below your price on that crucial bid? Take steps to ensure that your phones, emails, and whereabouts are not known or shared. If you are meeting an important client, don’t tell anybody that doesn’t need to know. They may see personal gain in sharing the information. Encrypt important emails (Google it), and pay attention to the way your phone sounds (more in this in a minute.)
3. Have you noticed strange sounds or volume changes on your phone?
Like most surveillance measures, wire taps commonly have detectable side effects. You may notice volume shifting or dropping out. Strange popping, static, or scratching sounds can be caused by two conductors connecting together, such as a wiretap device. You may also notice strange sounds from your phone when it should be hung up. This can be caused by a hook switch bypass, and might mean somebody can hear everything said (yikes!) within 20 feet of your phone.
If your phone rings often and nobody is there, or you hear a very faint high pitched tone, especially one lasting only a fraction of a second, this is a key indicator of a harmonica bug or infinity transmitter in used. It could also be a fax machine calling the wrong number, but better safe than sorry. Your local phone company should be able to tell you for sure.
4. Has your AM/FM radio started acting strangely?
Many bugs take advantage of your existing radio antenna for transmission, and this frequently causes interference. Nearby transmissions will also tend to drift and make FM radios go quiet or “dark” at a specific frequency. This can be detected by setting up a feedback loop. Slowly move around with a hand held radio set to mono mode, and try to find a location where you get a squeal on a specific frequency. If you can get it to become very high in pitch you are near any existing bug. You should have a pro sweep the area to make sure.
Wall Plate Microphone
5. You have had burglars, but nothing appears to be taken.
Eavesdroppers often break into offices and homes, and very rarely leave direct evidence of a break-in. However, occupants will often pickup on things being out of place or “not right” such as slightly moved furniture, or a door or drawer that has issues closing completely, but which you always close completely.
6. Electrical covers are slightly out of position. This includes your electrical switches and outlets.
Anywhere there is power is an ideal place to power a bug, but usually requires that something be removed to expose electrical wires. If you notice gaps where you didn’t before, remove the plates or lighting fixtures and check. Also, check for slight variations in color that might mean your wall plate was replaced with a pre-wired one containing a bug.
7. You notice a dime-sized discoloration on your wall or ceiling.
This can be a sign that a pinhole camera or mic has been set in your wall.
8. You receive an unexpected electronic gift.
Spy Pen with Camera/Mic
Clocks, radios, lamps, TVs, boom boxes, CD players, etc… are all prime place to put a “trojan horse” style eavesdropping device. Even smaller items like pens, markers, note dispensers, pagers, cell phones, or anything of that type may be a hazard.
And the list goes on. Some other things that might be cause for concern:
- Small bumps or deformations on vinyl baseboards near your floors.
- Smoke detector, clock, lamp, or exit sign looks slightly crooked.
- Items have just appeared around your office, but nobody knows who they belong to.
- White drywall dust or debris on the floor when no contractor has been by.
- Small ceiling tile or grit on the floor, or under a desk.
- Phone company or other service trucks spending a lot of time near your property.
- Repair or installation professionals show up when nobody called them. Send them packing, ASAP!
- Service or delivery trucks parked for long periods with nobody in them.
- Your door lock suddenly doesn’t “feel” right.
- Things “seem” to have been gone through, but nobody notices anything missing.
Nobody wants to live a paranoid life, so take these items with a grain of salt. The stronger your competition, or the more proprietary information you possess, the more concerned you should be.
If you are in doubt, the people to call are called Technical Surveillance Counter Surveillance (TSCM) specialists, and you can find them locally on Google. Just search for “[major city] TSCM.”
Happy hunting!
Update: If you are looking for more information on computer-related monitoring, spyware, and preventative measures, check out Christine’s article: Detecting & Battling Key Loggers, Computer Monitoring & other Malicious Activities
Comments
8 Comments on How to Know if You Are Being Monitored Covertly
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This is scary... on
Thu, 1st Oct 2009 10:19 am
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Mandy on
Thu, 1st Oct 2009 10:47 am
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Carson on
Thu, 1st Oct 2009 2:23 pm
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Ed on
Tue, 6th Oct 2009 9:14 am
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FortyTwo42 on
Tue, 6th Oct 2009 4:25 pm
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Joe on
Tue, 6th Oct 2009 4:28 pm
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Glenn on
Tue, 6th Oct 2009 4:34 pm
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Josh on
Tue, 6th Oct 2009 4:35 pm
… to say the least!
I don’t think anyone has any reason to spy on me, but this definitely has me looking over my shoulder! Both directions!
I could definitely see how someone might be paranoid after reading this. Very interesting …
After the Patriot Act was introduced, these types of hidden surveillance techniques are very likely to happen if your telephone conversation or internet chat happens to have a word that may be of interest to the FBI. These products are likely to be used if in fact you are being watched!
cameras, microphones, and transmitters have gotten so small, they can be hidden in just about anything these days…
most of the emphasis on information security these days involves securing your computer network, but the possibility of physical ‘bugs’ is often overlooked. great article…
Aren’t there ways to deter voice/video recording?
Spy camera pen? just like James Bond…
you think that’s Bond-esqe, how about a pair of DVR Sunglasses: http://www.apexcctv.com/p-656-4gb-covert-camera-sunglasses-and-dvr.aspx
Tell me what you're thinking...
and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!
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