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Technical Surveillance Threat Levels
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Common Consumer Products and Toys
Heavy usage of 49 MHz, 88-108, 143, 171, 470, 900-925 MHz bands. Wireless Microphones,
Intercom Systems, Baby Monitors, Tape Recorders, Recorder Starter Relays, Inexpensive
Microphones, Video Cameras, Camcorders
Restricted Professional Products
The products are typically not sold retail, but are offered into very specialised vertical markets such as
the broadcast or recording industry. The most popular products are UHF and VHF wireless
microphones and industrial wireless video systems.
These products include those used by Private Investigators, Security People, and related professional
with heavy concentration on video based products and are readily available to via mail order, the
Internet, or retail channels (such as spy shops). Equipment used for taping phone lines will normally
contain a sophisticated isolation circuit, and will be very difficult to detect electronically. Such a device
is often called a "Slave Device" and is typically only found via a careful physical inspection.
Examples:
Body Wires, Bumper Beepers, Tracking Devices and Beacons, Wireless Microphones, Tape
Recorders, Covert Video Cameras, Night Vision
Professional Products
These products are strictly taboo for the public to buy, sell, possess, or attempt to possess. This level
of threat involves eavesdropping products strictly available only to law enforcement agencies, and
then only when acting under an ACTIVE court order. Most of the products operate on bands allocated
for law enforcement activities, or bands specifically allocated for.
This type of device is usually monitored by full time staff at a fixed command post. The eavesdroppers
will typically have the target under intense physical surveillance and will be monitoring "guard-bands".
This type of threat is that commonly used when businessmen "bug" each other, and when "big dollars"
are involved.
Examples:
Wireless Microphones, Digital VLF Devices, Covert Video Cameras, LAN/WAN Eavesdropping
Devices, Bugged Copy Machines, Bugged Fax Machines, Bugged Computers and Monitors, Modified
Telephone, PBX, and Voice Mail Systems, Cellular Interception Systems, Beeper/Pager Intercept
Systems
Signals Intelligence Products
Frequencies typically between 3 kHz and 110 GHz
Wide/Narrow band spread spectrum, burst and frequency hopping
Infrared devices between 300nm to 1710nm
Those products are used by the Signals Intelligence community, and may include radar analysis
systems and communications intercept systems.
This equipment is typically used only by major defence or intelligence agencies and generally is not
available to law enforcement. The equipment may include special classified or unclassified battlefield
communications systems, SATCOM systems, GPS systems, Avionics Systems, and so on.
Intelligence Agency Eavesdropping Threats
Frequencies typically between 3 kHz and 110 GHz
Wide/Narrow band spread spectrum, burst and frequency hopping
Infrared devices between 300nm to 1710nm
An example of this level of threat is the eavesdropping devices and methods actively being used by an
intelligence agency.
This includes both radiated, and conducted signals threats along with various types of intercept
systems, alarm bypass systems, covert entry devices, and so on. Virtually all equipment involved in
this level of threat is classified at least Secret.
National Security Eavesdropping Threats
This is the highest level of threat which is available to government agencies, and includes emerging
technologies, and equipment or devices on the cutting edge of science.
Access to even the slightest piece of information regarding this type of system is highly restricted and
requires a high level security clearance. Often people (even with a Top Secret security clearance) are
only allowed to work on a small part of the system to minimise the risk of any one person crippling
national defence.
The equipment, methods, and activities are all centred around large scale national surveillance,
reconnaissance, eavesdropping, and intelligence programs and related activities. A prime example of
this is the US National Reconnaissance Office and their program or overhead imagery, or the US
National Security Agency/Navy undersea fiber optic tapping ships, or ECHELON.
Source: http://www.tscm.com/threatlvls.html
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