TSCM

Amongst many Others

Is your Cell Phone bugged?

House  bugged?

Office bugged?

Bugging is not a myth.  Newspaper headlines in South Africa have recently & repeatedly depicted cases of alleged bugging:

• The case of bugging reported by “ABSA”, - Johannesburg
• Land Bank – suspected bugging in Helena Dolny saga
• Judge W. Heath has alleged - telephones /office & home bugged - East London
• Louis Luyt admitted that he himself had had certain offices bugged and telephones tapped - Johannesburg
• The northern TVL Rugby Union offices – bugs found - Pretoria
• Bugging of Earl Spencer – Cape town
• Spy Cameras outside German Embassy - Pretoria
• Bug found in gift to President – Cape Town
• Mandela's house was bugged ahead of the ANC's National Congress in 2007
• Democratic Party of Southern Africa alleges bugging – Cape Town
• Sir Richard Branson finds proof of bugging and illicit wiretaps by opposition British Airways – UK.
• Anneline Kriel bugged ex-hubbie Tucker during divorce period and fight over child custody.
• Bugging devices found in Cape Parliament.
• More recently and ahead of the FIFA World CUP in South Africa the England footbal team management conversations (In England) were illegally monitored via bugging methods and confidential team information was offered for sale to newspapers - no doubt the teams and various countries took precautions and conducted regular 'bug sweeps'

While the American 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), in South Africa, no state or transparent public research has been publicised indicating exactly the sales and impact of bugging devices from spy shops and other suppliers. It is recorded however that there has been over the last five years a major increase in the importation into South Africa of such bugging devices.  This poses a question – what is it used for.  The answer is obvious.

Furthermore American 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.

While South Africa is an emerging market and a world player in the international business sector, such detailed research is lacking in South Africa and we have not yet been made fully aware of this very real threat. The many newspaper advertisements and yellow pages display many, many  such bugging services for sale often disguised as mere surveillance services and or  transmitting equipment, or covert  video.

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
• Companies or Departments linked to recent takeovers or merges

Any person or business with information to protect may be targeted for eavesdropping!

Some signs of possible eavesdropping: NB

• 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

Digital Bug operating on a GSM network and a UHF Crystal Controled Telephone Bug Kit

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 microphone
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!

• Check out the various spyshops on the internet to get a sample of what's available

• Conduct  a search on the internet for bug kits, RF transmitters, and wiretap equipment
• Consider everyday items such as cell phones. cordless phones, baby monitors and wireless microphones as potential eavesdropping devices