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Bug Sweep Warning
You need to make sure that whomever you hire has the right electronic bug detection equipment, training and experience. Here is a list of questions you must ask anyone you are considering to conduct a TSCM bug sweep of your home, business, or vehicle:
Question #1 – What is the value of the equipment you will be using on my sweep?
Question #2 – What type of equipment will you use to sweep my residence?
Spectrum Analyzer – (Average Cost $5,000-$47,000)
Non-Linear Junction Detector – (Average Cost $14,000 – $20,000)
TALAN 3.0 Telephone & Line Analyzer (Average Cost $19,000 – $21,000)
This device is designed to conduct a comprehensive sweep and analysis of your telephone lines. With the advent of digital and VOIP telephone lines, old school test equipment is no longer sufficient. The TALAN is able to analyze, inspect and test digital telephone lines for taps and eavesdropping devices. The new VOIP analysis software allows the technician to test internet protocol packet traffic for source and destination addresses, header type, and packet statistics. This device is essential for commercial or office bug sweeps, and is also best used on residence phone lines connected to local cable service.
Countermeasure Amplifier (Average Cost $1,700)
Broadband RF Detector/Probes (Average Cost $$2,500 – $4,500)
FLIR Infrared Thermal Camera (Average Cost $1,000 – $15,000)
Video Borescope (Average Cost $500 – $2,500)
Cell Phone Detector (Average Cost $2,400)
Question #3 – What type of formal training do you have?
As you can see from the list above, there is a significant financial investment to purchase these unique electronic detection devices. In addition, most of these sophisticated devices require as many as 40 hours each of manufacturer on-site training to know how to properly use and conduct through TSCM bug sweeps.
REI (Research Electronics International) is one of the most well known training facility located in Cookeville, Tennessee. They offer specific 3-5 day certificate courses for most of their products. Other training facilities include Jarvis Intelligence Solutions in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Kestrel in Canada, and World Institute for Security Enhancement in Wilmington, North Carolina. There are also many TSCM professionals who were government trained. However, the mere fact that a technician is a former federal agent is not sufficient unless they were trained in TSCM. Your technician should be able to provide proof of certificate training from any of these TSCM training facilities.
Question #4 – How much experience do you have?
You will find that most seasoned professional TSCM technicians have more than 10 years full-time experience. While there are many excellent private investigators with years of proven TSCM experience, most rarely do bug sweeps on a regular basis or they do sweeps on a part-time basis. Make sure that the technician you hire has several years of TSCM experience.
Question #5 – Are you a member of any professional TSCM organizations?
Professional TSCM technicians should belong to ERII (Espionage Research Institute International) and/or ASIS International.
Do not hesitate to ask the questions above and let yourself be guided by the answers. However, all our technician meet all the equipment, training, and experience requirements listed above.
