U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

LOGICAL APPROACH TO COUNTER-EAVESDROPPING SECURITY INSPECTIONS

NCJ Number
61496
Journal
Assets Protection Volume: 4 Issue: 2 Dated: (MAY/JUNE 1979) Pages: 21-26
Author(s)
G H WHIDDEN
Date Published
1979
Length
6 pages
Annotation
A LOGICAL APPROACH THAT TAKES MAXIMUM ADVANTAGE OF THE PROBABILITIES IN THE USE OF AUDIO SURVEILLANCE TECHNIQUES CAN BE BOTH EFFECTIVE AND ECONOMICAL IN COUNTERING EAVESDROPPING.
Abstract
THE LOGICAL APPROACH REQUIRES AN EXAMINATION OF VULNERABILITIES, A DETERMINATION OF THE AUDIO TECHNIQUES THAT COULD BE USED, AND AN INSPECTION DESIGNED TO REVEAL THE PRESENCE OF EAVESDROPPING DEVICES THE MOST LIKELY TO BE USED UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES. BASICALLY THE EAVESDROPPER NEEDS SOME WAY TO INTRODUCE A MICROPHONE OR RELATED DEVICE INTO THE PREMISES. THE FIRST STEP IS TO LOOK FOR SOMEONE WITH NATURAL ACCESS TO THE PREMISES. THIS COULD BE AN EMPLOYEE, A CLEANING PERSON, MAINTENANCE PERSON, TELEPHONE PERSONNEL OR A SURREPTITIOUS ENTERER. TECHNIQUES EMPLOYED BY EAVESDROPPERS INCLUDE A QUICK PLANT DEVICE (A MICROPHONE AND RADIO TRANSMITTER); A MEDIUM COMPLEXITY INSTALLATION (DEVICE CONCEALED BEHIND ELECTRICAL OUTLETS, IN A TELEPHONE, TO A POWER LINE); HIGH COMPLEXITY INSTALLATION (PLACEMENT OF MICROPHONE AND CONCEALMENT OF WIRE LINE TO POINT WHERE IT LEAVES PREMISES OR DISMANTLING DEVICE OR FIXTURE TO CONCEAL THE PLANT). TELEPHONE SYSTEMS CAN ALSO BE MODIFIED TO PICK UP AND TRANSMIT CONVERSATIONS. THUS AN ANTI-EAVESDROPPING SYSTEM SHOULD LOGICALLY BE A SYSTEM FOR DETECTING SIGNALS FROM RADIO TRANSMITTERS; A SYSTEM FOR DETECTING SIGNALS FROM CARRIER CURRENT TRANSMITTERS; A SYSTEM FOR DETECTING VOICE SIGNALS OR UNUSUAL FLOW ON TELEPHONE LINES. (MJW)