TSCM

• What Is the Cost of a Basic TSCM Service Based On?

Cost is based on square metres of the area(s) to be surveyed, the number of phones and office equipment, residences and vehicles to be searched, (if applicable), AC and DC wiring, phone and LAN/WAN lines in use in the area, threat history (if any), telephone rooms, high wall offices, adjacent areas if accessable.  The fee quoted to a client includes time, travel, kilometres, expenses, etc. There are no hidden costs. The fee does not include VAT tax.

• What Are GAUGE Group's Payment Terms?

Terms for all work is strictly by retainer in advance unless otherwise negotiated.
Cancellation of a scheduled TSCM service after consultations and cleared retainers will result in a cancellation charge being 25% of the fee.
Payment terms acceptable are cash payments or EFT wire transfer. Work can commence only after bank clearance. No work product will be provided until payment clears.

• How Soon Can GAUGE Group Begin Work on a TSCM?

In most situations, the TSCM will be initiated within 24-48 hours from the time GAUGE Group receives the signed retainer agreement and the agreed upon retainer payment has cleared. Time, distance and the nature of the task will determine the exact implemation time frames.

• How Long Does a Basic to Medium  (level 1 to 7), TSCM Service Take?

This depends on the layout of the facility or residence, previous threat history, physical integrity of the facility and type and quantity of electronic equipment and telephones present. On levels 1 to 5, on average, you can expect a 250 square metre residence without a home office to take three to four hours and 200 to 250 square metres of non-industrial office space to take from 6 to 8 hours. Ideally, office space should be surveyed during business hours. However, if company schedules require or dictate differently (perhaps re the threat on hand), the survey can be done after hours. Levels 6 - 7 can a 48 to 72 hours to complete fully.  Very high level sweeps,i.e., levels 8 - 9 may take even longer.

• Are Debugging Results Guaranteed?

Simply stated, no. That is like asking a lawyer for a guaranteed outcome at a trial or a doctor for a guaranteed outcome after an operation. Even the highest level TSCM firms will not guarantee that every bug will be found. What they will do is conduct extensive physical searches of the area(s) in tandem with a host of sophisticated and dedicated 'sweeping' equipment (hundreds of thousands of Rands worth) that electronically survey the airways, phone lines, power lines, , phone instruments, walls, floors, ceilings and office equipment. They will report the survey results and whether anomalies were detected within known parameters. Make no mistake, we have excellent results but guarantees such as that are not practical or realistic.

GAUGE Group conducts thorough physical searches and instrumentation surveys 'on par' with the threat levels we concentrate in. We have found eavesdropping devices in the past and have always identified weaknesses in company security postures. We provide the client with a high degree of confidence with our results.
Even at the most sophisticated levels, for any TSCM to be effective, confidentiality is a must. A client must not warn a potential eavesdropper by contacting a TSCM firm from the very space they want surveyed. Discussions of the sweep must be conducted away from the suspected threat areas and the proposed TSCM request must not be discussed in common areas.

Also, the TSCM survey requested should be as thorough as possible. Only a telephone line sweep while ignoring the possibilty of RF bugs and devices being part of the threat is detrimental to the purpose. Trying to cut corners solely based on cost concerns will only result in a false sense of security!  A 'semi sweep' is the same as a 'semi operation' - it can be disaterous for your business or your personal privacy.

Be suspicious of any company or individual that guarantees debugging results!

• Does GAUGE Group Provide References?

No. Our clients remain confidential. If a client wants to share their experiences concerning a TSCM with a third party, that is their call. We do have however excellent references from astute and highly rated Risk Management Firms of long standing as many of THEIR clients are our clients to by referral.

• How Do I Contact a TSCM specialist?

Just as there is a tremendous knowledge and experience difference between a TSCM technician who works at the highest threat levels as compared with a technician working within threat levels one through seven, there is a big difference between the skill sets of the low to medium-high threat technicians as compared with private investigators or individuals who provide TSCM services as one of among twenty services they offer and perform.

Counter Measures should be the only core business practiced by the person engaged in providing TSCM services. You must seriously evaluate the probable threat against you, to determine what level of TSCM service you may require. An initial consultation with GAUGE Group can help you identify your threat level.

Remember, many private security firms or private detectives are gearged for bugging and make more money by bugging you.  To also provide TSCM services is rather contrdictaory. We say no more!

Telephone contact should not be made from a "suspect" phone.

Do not contact from home or office via phone or email if you suspect your system(s) may be compromised.

Do contact a TSCM firm through a means not associated with "suspect" communications.

• Why Are Some TSCM Surveys Offered Much Less Expensive Than Others?

Very high level surveys involve hundreds of thousands of United States Dollars (not only Rands), worth of equipment, literally weighing tons, operated by highly skilled technicians who take many weeks of training annually. You are paying for experience the way you would for the best doctors or attorneys. Surveys at these levels will cost tens of thousands of Rands.

Surveys within the low to mid-high and high level threats involve tens of thousands of Rands worth of equipment operated by technicians who also take formal and informal training annually, though not necessarily as extensive as higher level techs. Our ongoing training is to ensure we stay abreast of the threat as new technology is developed and used by information thieves and 'buggist's.

This training involves equipment operation, telephone system vulnerabilities and technical improvements in eavesdropping technology and the counters to them. Pricing is commensurate with the skill level required to evaluate threats at these levels, usually ranging from R7000.00 to R50000.00 for commercial office space. Rates progressively increase as the square metres increases. Residences are generally less expensive because the complexity of the phone system, wiring and accesses are much less. However, this is situational, depending upon who the home belongs to, such as a corporate CEO. Is there a threat history against the client or does the residence contain the primary office? In cases such as these, office rates will normally apply to the residence.

Firms offering bug sweep services costing only hundreds of Rands or generally very low non related industry tariffs tend to utilize personnel who have very little or NO knowledge of the technologies employed and more than likely utilize spy shop "magic boxes" which are very inadequate for performing even the most simple 'debugging'/TSCM, regardless of the marketing claims. The associated probes and equipment sensitivity are not capable of detecting all but the most obvious amateur attempts at planting bugs. That may work fine in the middle of the desert where the only RF signature is the bug itself. However, in suburban and urban areas, the airways are saturated with ambient RF.

Equipment must be capable of seeing through the "noise" and identify transmitter signals in the low milliwatt ranges. Many "phone tap magic boxes" are nothing more than voltmeters and may detect a drop in voltage as a person picks up an extension phone, but not much more. And, the most obvious consideration is if these "magic boxes" did all they claimed, why would high-level TSCM providers spend R300,000 on spectrum analyzers when they could spend R4000.00 for a spy shop detector?

Imagine the money they'd save on equipment and they could still charge the same fee for their expertise. But they don't buy those boxes and they don't by them for a reason. It doesnt work!

More than once we have been contacted 'after the fact and after suffering damage and huge financial losses because the unskilled and low gradre services providers were used - unsuccessfully so.  Its not worth it - in fact - businesses usually end up with a false sense of security and suffer the consequences.

• What is Included in the Written Report?

The written report to the client includes a description of the area surveyed, the history of known threats that may have previously existed and a general description of the client's concerns. The parameters of each element of the electronic survey are defined (e.g. RF testing from 200Hz to 3 GHz; microwave from 2 GHz to 12 GHz) as is the physical search parameters (including descriptions the telephones and office equipment). The client will understand what each element of the survey is and the purpose for that testing. Results of the survey will usually (but not exclusively), include:

1. Findings of the electronic surveys (airways, video, VLF, telephone)
2. Light spectrum analyses
3. An all electronic equipment analyses
4. Voltage and current readings of AC and DC power (including telephone)
5. On hook/off hook telephone readings for each instrument
6. Resistance readings where applicable
7. Identification and evaluation of unused wiring (no voltage) (amplifier testing)
8. Evaluation of live wiring (in use and not in use)
9. Physical search findings (includes telephone, office equipment, computer)
10. Sound attenuation results (where applicable)
11. Anomalies identified and action taken
12. Observations (safety and security with consideration to TSCM)
13. Recommendations

The GAUGE Group will always compile such a written report. However, some clients do not want a written report or may not want a record of the TSCM filed on their premises. Some clients may want their attorneys to hold the report. In any case, the written report will be available to the client. Reports are not released to any third party without prior approval from the client or the client's representative.

• How Long is a Debugging Good For?

Any TSCM service, even at the highest threat levels, is a snapshot in time. If a TSCM was conducted on a Monday and eavesdropping devices were found and removed, there is no guarantee that by Friday there would not be a few more devices planted. This is why the security posture of a company is critical. Solid security practices will go a long way in making the job of even the most seasoned eavesdropper much more difficult. This is also why periodic TSCM surveys are recommended to clients.

Also, after the 'Sweep' we recommend several measures that can be taken to avoid and reduce bugging risks.