It was Sir Francis Bacon who famously said that “knowledge is power,” and what was true in the sixteenth century is still true today. Businesses thrive What Is A Qualified Electrician on information and so it is unsurprising that some people will use underhanded means to collect confidential information from their competitors.
The threat of information theft in a competitive business environment is real and growing for many legitimate businesses. Cases of industrial espionage through unauthorised surveillance have increased over the years driven by four major factors:
1. The Availability and Cost of Surveillance Devices
In Francis Bacon’s day good locks and keys were at the forefront of information protection. Today we face a completely different order of sophistication. The emergence of hi-tech, low-cost, electronic eavesdropping tools has rapidly elevated the threat from unauthorised surveillance to previously unimaginable levels.
These devices are no longer the preserve of the surveillance expert, but can be bought from by any consumer from high street shops, mail order and internet suppliers.
Coupled with this rise in availability is the fact that many of these devices can be purchased cheaply. The price of surveillance devices from radio and GSM listening devices and other hardware to software keystroke loggers has fallen dramatically to only a few pounds.
2. The Ease of Installation
Today’s sophisticated bugging technology is such that it can be effectively concealed and installed in just a few seconds. Because of this simplicity an organisation’s personnel are often used to install and move devices into key locations throughout the company. Worryingly, this can happen both with and without that persons knowledge.
Even the Internet can be used to transmit stolen information from a victim organisation.
3. The Value of Information
The market value of many types of information seems to have grown just as rapidly in recent years so that the potential loss to a business from a successful attack is now worse than ever before.
4. Underdeveloped Industrial Industries In India Espionage Legislation
The law has not yet caught up with circumstance, meaning that the penalties for getting caught conducting industrial espionage are comparatively light.
These four factors spell bad news for legitimate organisations trying to protect the valuable information that keeps them competitive and productive. Thankfully, there are counter surveillance organisations who are dedicated to fighting back on our behalf.
If you suspect you may have fallen victim to covert surveillance, the best advice is to have a TSCM (Technical Surveillance Counter Measures) sweep of your organisation. The potential loss to a business of a successful attack is particularly high and the cost of an effective counter-surveillance service is by comparison minor.
