WHY YOU NEED TSCM NOW MORE THAN EVER

Concerns about the security of data and communications is very high these days. Are? smart devices recording conversations and conveying them to marketers? Are encrypted? communications apps truly secure from state-affiliated intrusion? Are corporate networks? compromised by hackers? This interest in information security is a good thing, but amidst? all the new risks we should not forget that the tried-and-true approaches to spying -? especially the use of electronic surveillance devices, spy cameras, and hidden? microphones - are more of a threat than ever. Just ask the executives of a large medical? concern that discovered a microphone hidden behind a telephone jack plate in a? conference room being used for sensitive negotiations in a software acquisition, the work? crew installing new windows in an executive's home who found a microphone hidden in? a window frame, the executive protection specialist who found an Apple Airtag hidden in? their vehicle, the stalking victim found to have a tracker installed in their vehicle's on board diagnostic (OBD) port, or the organization potentially compromised by a simple? recorder disguised as a USB thumb drive taped underneath a conference room table. ? ? ? ?

These cases and others highlight not just the corporate information security (INFOSEC)? dangers posed by electronic surveillance devices but also the indirect costs to the victims, who lose valuable time worrying about eavesdroppers or stalkers and may have justified? anxiety about their physical security as well. In order to mitigate this risk, corporate? security leaders are increasingly recognizing the need for comprehensive technical? surveillance countermeasures (TSCM) programs. TSCM involves the detection and? neutralization of electronic surveillance devices. TSCM specialists conduct? comprehensive inspections, or "sweeps", of buildings, rooms, vehicles and other places? where devices may be lurking using sophisticated detection equipment.?

TSCM has long been part of the asset and information protection arsenal, but several? trends suggest it is now more necessary than ever:?

??Cheap, accessible surveillance devices are proliferating:??The surveillance? device market is booming. ?Billions of dollars worth of inexpensive spy devices are? being sold each year. ?Where are all those devices going? ?U.S. consumer? spending on surveillance cameras alone – just one of the many types of devices? now on the market reached $4 billion in 2023, an increase from the $2.1 billion? recorded in 2018. With rapid improvements in technology and its miniaturization,? the previously prohibitive cost of getting one's hands on surveillance devices is? becoming less of a barrier. ?Many devices currently available on the internet were? reserved for specialized intelligence and security entities only a few years ago,? enabling a whole new class of threat actor to leverage powerful technology that? can be turned against corporations, their assets, leaders, and personnel.?

??Corporate espionage is booming:?The U.S. economy loses up to $600 billion? per year as a result of stolen intellectual property, according to a 2017 report to? Congress. Corporate espionage is a growing illicit market, with indicators? suggesting an upward trend for the foreseeable future. In California's San? Francisco Bay Area, home to Silicon Valley's tech powerhouses, economic? espionage and the theft of trade secrets have been rising sharply over the past two? decades and in the last five years indictments have increased by 45% compared? to the previous five years.?

??Insider threats are on the rise:?Industry research from the cybersecurity world? indicates insider threats have been on the rise in tandem with the use of a broader? range of devices by employees, the deployment of cloud-based systems, and? increasing accessibility to malicious technology. Many breaches are being? perpetrated by insiders, often for monetary gain. Although these incidents are? typically not physical in nature, violations of information security policies in the? cyber world can act as a stepping stone toward physical security violations,? including through the use of electronic surveillance. ?As cyber security measures? make it more difficult for nefarious actors to hack into corporate networks many? are transitioning to physical attacks and "old school" tactics to compromise? information security. ??

??Business travel is expanding:?In an increasingly globalized market context,? long-distance business travel is becoming an unavoidable necessity. Industry data? indicates that there are 445 million business trips per year, with forecasts showing? further growth over the coming years. With the potential for travel to unfamiliar? locations, emerging markets, and countries with varying standards of privacy? rights, state security oversight, and organized criminal elements, the prospect for? corporate travelers and executives to be targeted by electronic surveillance? measures has never been greater. Such targeting can take the form of? compromised conference or hotel rooms, vehicles, or even personal clothing,? luggage, and electronic devices that have been left unattended for any period of? time. ?Installation of malware on unattended electronics (cell phones, tablets,? laptops) can be carried out in just a matter of minutes allowing for indefinite access? to the contents of the device to include remote access to the internal microphones? and camera. ??

Establishing an effective TSCM program for your organization requires consideration of? several key elements. TSCM strategies require the deployment of TSCM specialists with? extensive backgrounds in the detection of the latest electronic surveillance devices.? Knowledge about current deployment and exploitation tactics used by threat actors is? crucial. A TSCM program also needs to involve the use of state-of-the-art detection? technology. Individuals conducting sweeps must use both top-of-the-line radio frequency? (RF) spectrum analyzers as well as other instruments that can detect abnormalities in? electrical currents, phones, Voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) systems, wired? microphones installed in walls, ceilings, or floors, and the presence of hastily installed Wi- Fi and cellular-enabled transmitting devices, many disguised in lamps, clocks, a wide? range of electronic devices, and many other everyday objects. ? ??

Finally, a TSCM program must be highly mobile. Whether it's your C-suite office spaces, a rented off-site conference room for a?high-stakes meeting, an executive's home, a vehicle used by a senior corporate leader,?a corporate jet, or a super yacht used for business meetings, TSCM teams need to have?the capacity to conduct sweeps in a wide range of settings and locations.?

As the electronic surveillance threat increases and continues to evolve don't wait until you've been compromised to take measures to protect?the security of your sensitive information.? ? ?