The Threat

The U.S. State Department estimates that there are over three quarters of a million eavesdropping devices sold each year (this does not include legitimate items used surreptitiously). The State Department also reports that over 6,500 incidents of industrial espionage occur in the United States each year with an average economic impact of well over a million dollars each. Additionally, the American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS) estimates that Economic and Industrial Espionage cost Fortune 1000 companies over $50 billion in 2001. And, an annual report to Congress in 2004 on Foreign Economic Collection and Industrial Espionage estimates that such activities cost anywhere from $100 to $250 billion annually. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce also reports that espionage, both foreign theft against American companies and American companies spying on American companies, costs companies literally billions of dollars every month. These figures have increased since these reports were issued.

Who and What Are Potential Targets:

• Telephone conversations
• Executive residences
• Boardroom meetings
• Data storage
• Fax transmissions
• Office conversations
• Vehicles
• Computer and phone systems
• Facility video systems
• Attorneys involved in high dollar or emotionally-charged cases
• Scientists or engineers employed at any large company
• Employees of any defense contractor
• Corporate Buyers
• Police Officers
• Marketing Firms
• Union Officials
• Product Engineers
• Executives at any large company
• Software Developers
• Neighbors eavesdropping on neighbors
• People involved in litigation or lawsuit

Any person or entity with information to protect may be targeted for eavesdropping more.

Some signs of possible eavesdropping:

• Your confidential trade secrets or processes are compromised
• Your activities are known when they shouldn't be
• Technicians showing up to do work when no one has called them
• Secret meetings and bids seem to be less than secret
• Strange sounds or volume changes on your telephone
• Sounds coming from the telephone's handset when it is hung up
• Strange noise tones are heard over the telephone
• Your radio or TV suddenly develops interference
• You have been the victim of a burglary but nothing was taken
• Wall plates appear to have been moved slightly
• Wall, ceiling or partition dust is noticed on the floor
• Service or repair vehicles spending a lot of time near your office or home
• Your door locks do not "feel right"
• Receiving unexpected gifts (powered electronically) from strangers
• Your marketing strategies have been compromised
• Potential clients you planned to contact are contacted first by the competition
• Your customer lists and points of contact are known by competitors

Some examples of over-the-counter eavesdropping devices and frequencies:

• 44.5-51.0 MHz - Baby Monitors
• 54.0-320.0 MHz - Low cost kit bugs
• 138.0-174.0 MHz - Standard Spy Shop VHF bugs
• 150.0-220.0 MHz - Commercial wireless microphones
• 380.0-960.0 MHz - video bugs
• 300.0 Hz-30.0 KHz - Cable hard-wired (TV carrier)
• 1.4-5.9 GHz - Common video frequencies

How easy is it to obtain eavesdropping devices?

Very easy!

Conduct a search of "spy bug" on eBay to get a flavor of what's available

Conduct Google or Yahoo searches for bug kits, RF transmitters, and wiretap equipment

Consider everyday items such as baby monitors and wireless microphones as potential eavesdropping devices