Technical Surveillance Threat Levels
Technical Surveillance Threat Levels
Level 4 - Restricted Professional Products
Products with a threat level of 4 include products not normally available to the public, and may or may not include FCC approved devices. The products are typically not sold retail, but are offered into very specialized vertical markets (such as the broadcast or recording industry.The most popular products are UHF and VHF wireless microphones used (or mis-used) by the broadcast industry. Also popular are industrial wireless video systems, and spread spectrum products clustered around the 2.4 GHz ISM band.
These products include those used by Private Investigators, Security People, and related professional with heavy concentration on video based products.
The products are quasi-legal (provided it is video only, and no audio path is involved) and are readily available to professionals via mail order, the Internet, or retail channels (such as spy shops).
Poorly trained law enforcement officers will occasionally (out of ignorance) use products such as these for surveillance, often with undesirable results.
This level of threat is typically equipment and devices used by the industrial, scientific, broadcast, and the law enforcement community. The equipment is generally not available to the public and is often too expensive for "spy shops", PI's, and amateur spies.Roughly 60% of these products is higher end equipment used by the broadcast industry (video transmitters, body wires, and wireless audio products). This equipment is commonly re-labeled and sold to law enforcement agencies at highly inflated prices. This type of equipment is quasi-legal for the public to possess, buy, sell, or attempt to buy (but it's a major and dangerous gray area).
Only about 40% of the equipment is purpose built for law enforcement (AID, HDS, etc..) and is really nothing more then copies of broadcast products in a concealment device. This type of equipment is highly illegal for the public to possess, buy, sell, or attempt to buy.
Equipment will typically operate on broadcast support, or law enforcement frequencies which will not be around any of the "consumer bands".
The eavesdropper generally assumes the target is "soft" and not expecting eavesdropping. Target typically will not be performing any type of TSCM inspection, or will be using "spy shop bug detectors" which will provide a serous false sense of security.
Equipment used for taping phone lines will normally contain a sophisticated isolation circuit, and will be very difficult to detect electronically. Such a device is often called a "Slave Device" and is typically only found via a careful physical inspection.
The primary indicator of this level of threat is that it was initially designed, marketed, and sold to a "non-public" customer (such as a TV studio, medical facility, industrial firm, or law enforcement agency).
The equipment and training required to perform a TSCM inspection at this level starts becoming complex. The cost for this type of service starts to increase. Firms offering TSCM services at this level typically charge between $1500 to $3000 for a limited sweep. This type of TSCM service usually takes less than a day (and often less then 2 hours).
Technical Profile
Counter Measures
Credentials
Typical Suppliers
Other Eavesdropping Threat Levels
Level 1 - Common Consumer Products and Toys
Level 2 - Amateur and Consumer Communications Products
Level 3 - Amateur Eavesdropping Products
Level 5 - Professional "Spy Shop" Products
Level 6 - Professional "Title 3" Products
Level 7 - Signals Intelligence Products
Level 8 - Intelligence Agency Eavesdropping Threats
Level 9 - National Security Eavesdropping Threats
Level X - Hypothetical, Misunderstood, or Delusional Threats
How To Engage a TSCM Firm
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