Revealling bugs?

It is an occasional concern that people have been "bugged" inside their home or office with a listening device or camera. This is becoming a greater possibility with the advancement of technology and the ease by which sophisticated equipment can be obtained or even made. They usually involve simple radio transmitters, about the size of a pack of chewing gum and a wire for the antenna. The signal is sent "somewhere" usually to a normal FM radio receiver tuned to a specific frequency. If you have any doubts after reading the following, please contact us to conduct an electronic "debugging" of your home or office.


Bug Tips

1. Others know your confidential business or professional trade secrets.
This is the most obvious indicator of covert eavesdropping activities. Theft of confidential information is a multi-million pound underground industry in the UK. Often the loss of your secrets will show up in very subtle ways so you should always trust your instincts in this matter. When your competitors know things that are obviously private, or the media finds out about things they should not know, then it is reasonable to suspect technical eavesdropping or bugging.

2. Secret meetings and bids seem to be less than secret.
Confidential meetings and bids are very popular targets for corporate spies. How would you like the plans for the corporate takeovers you're planning to become public knowledge? Would copies of your product designs be of any use to your competitors? Would it be beneficial for your competitors to know how much you're quoting for the same project?

3. People seem to know your activities when they shouldn't.

4. You have noticed strange sounds or volume changes on your phone lines.
This is commonly caused by an amateur eavesdropper when they attach a wiretap, or activate a similar listening device. Surveillance devices often cause slight anomalies on the telephone line such a volume shift or drop-out. Professional eavesdroppers and their equipment usually do not make such noises; so if this is going on it could indicate that an amateur eavesdropper is listening in. On the other hand you could simply be experiencing a flaw in the line, but you should check it out.

5. You have noticed static, popping, or scratching on your phone lines.
This is caused by the capacitive discharge which occurs when two conductors are connected together (such as a bug or wiretap on a phone line). This is also a sign that an amateur eavesdropper or poorly trained spy is playing with your phone lines. It could be nothing more then a problem with your phone line or instrument, but a member of our team should evaluate the situation to make sure.

6. Sounds are coming from your phones handset when it's hung up.
This is often caused by a hook switch bypass, which turns the telephone receiver into a eavesdropping microphone (and also a speaker). There can be somebody listening to everything you say or do within twenty feet of the telephone (if this is happening).