NCJ Number
172448
Journal
Security Management Volume: 41 Issue: 12 Dated: (December 1997) Pages: 113-117
Date Published
1997
Length
5 pages
Annotation
No business is safe from the threat of industrial espionage, and security professionals must adopt specific measures to prevent the loss of a company's proprietary information in an environment where eavesdropping technology is improving and becoming more readily available.
Abstract
One such measure is the technical surveillance countermeasure (TSCM) sweep. Although a TSCM sweep can be used to find microphones, transmitters, and other eavesdropping devices, corporate security professionals are often not familiar with a countermeasures sweep and do not know how to determine if a TSCM technician has the expertise necessary to conduct a thorough search. In addition, a TSCM sweep can be expensive, making it difficult to justify to senior management. Nonetheless, the TSCM sweep can detect the presence of technical surveillance devices and identify security hazards and weaknesses that can make a company vulnerable to industrial espionage. The TSCM sweep includes three main elements--visual, electronic, and physical. When the sweep is completed, the TSCM team should complete a thorough report for the security manager and other top executives. In addition to a TSCM sweep, employees should be adequately trained in how to protect company assets and information.