How to perform a bug sweep

The revelation of the identity of Deep Throat, the secret source of the Watergate scandal, reminded me of an old threat we still face today known as "bugging" or, as those in the business call it, "technical surveillance." Receiving information about a victim through audio or video surveillance provides an attacker with a wealth of information. And, as today's electronics become more sophisticated, bugging equipment once available only to spies is now easily obtainable on the Internet. In response to this threat, many corporations have started to perform bug sweeps or Technical Security Counter Measure (TSCM) operations, with the help of outside contractors.

TSCM is a specialized area, and performing a sweep requires expensive equipment that needs regular updating. As a result, sweeps can be pricey, although not as pricey as the losses from a bugged office. Many firms charge more than $10,000 for one floor of an office building. Therefore, you may want to limit the scope of the sweep to especially sensitive areas such as corporate management offices, boardrooms, etc. If you take this approach, it is important to remember to limit sensitive discussions to the "cleared" areas.

When researching vendors, ask about the equipment and techniques they use. Legitimate TSCM firms are up front about th

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To help weed out the wannabes, let's take a closer look at five basic technologies used by genuine TSCM operators:

Like other forms of security testing, TSCM sweeps provide you with a snapshot of conditions at a particular time. For continued assurance that your offices are "clean" of surveillance devices, you'll need to repeat sweeps periodically. Most vendors provide some sort of "volume discount" for annual or biannual services.

TSCM services are not for every company, but if the disclosure of conversations or phone calls in your offices would cause irreparable harm to your business, you should consider checking to see if your walls have ears.

About the Author
Al Berg, CISSP, CISM is Information Security Director of New York City based Liquidnet (www.liquidnet.com). Liquidnet is the leading electronic venue for institutional block equities trading and the 4th fastest growing privately held financial services company in the US.

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