Counter-Surveillance

The Threat - Illegal Eavesdropping in the United States

The manufacture, sale, installation, and monitoring of illegal surveillance devices is a multi billion underground industry within the United States. The U.S. State Department estimates that at least 800 million dollars of illegal bugging and eavesdropping equipment is imported and installed into corporations in the United States each year.

The majority of this equipment is illegally imported into the United States from France, Germany, Lebanon, Italy, Canada, Israel, England, Japan, Taiwan, South Africa, and a host of other countries. Additionally, anyone with a soldering iron and a basic understanding of electronics can build and install an eavesdropping device. The raw materials to build such a device may be easily obtained at Radio Shack, or salvaged from consumer electronic devices such as cordless telephones, intercom systems, and televisions.

In the United States over six millions dollars worth of surveillance devices are sold to the public each day. Most of these products are sold from storefront operations, spy shops, attorneys, and via private investigators located in major metro areas such as New York, Miami, Los Angles, San Francisco, Dallas, Chicago, and Minneapolis. This does not include the billions spent each year for legitimate eavesdropping products purchased by law enforcement and military agencies.

In New York City alone there are over 85 companies which will not only sell you the eavesdropping device, but will break into the targets office to install the device, and for an additional fee will provide a monitoring and transcription service.

Technical surveillance and industrial espionage is a serious problem which can have a VERY GRAVE IMPACT on your company and your own personal freedoms.

The Counter-Surveillance Process

What To Do If You Suspect A Bug?

Warning Signs

Who Gets Bugged?