As companies and organisations become more knowledge based entities; the information, ideas and decisions that are at the heart of the business become increasingly susceptible to theft by competitors, criminal groups, foreign state players and others. Leakage of company Intellectual Property such as formulas, client lists, product pricing, expansion plans or takeover targets to a third party can cause serious losses and damage to a company.

Over the past decade, there has been a large increase in “off the shelf” eavesdropping devices for sale on the internet, ranging from complex GSM devices to the lower end of the scale FM, UHF devices. 

The threat that executive offices, board rooms, meeting rooms etc. can be compromised by the placing of a listening device has rapidly escalated – the lower cost and easy availability of listening devices has coincided with the rising value of vital commercial information.

[It should also be noted that said very few corporate espionage cases ever advance to court, victims either cannot identify the culprit or else opt to settle such matters privately to save bad PR and reputational damage].

Technical Surveillance Countermeasures (TSCM) is the term given for the process of sweeping an office, room or building for electronic listening devices, bugs, covert cameras and other similar eavesdropping devices.

A TSCM inspection should be undertaken by qualified and experienced consultants to detect/reveal the presence of electronic listening devices or hidden cameras within a designated area. The inspection should also spot potential security vulnerabilities that may result in an easier infiltration by an espionage operatives.

A comprehensive TSCM inspection should consist of a thorough visual, electronic and physical examination of the designated area and utilises an extensive array of equipment, operated by several specialists. The TSCM inspection will seek to locate devices that illicitly transmit radio (or light or infrared) frequencies (wireless) as well as devices that do NOT transmit radio frequencies, i.e. are hard-wired via cabling.

Examples of devices that transmit radio frequencies include wireless AM/FM/UHF bugs, GSM or mobile-based listening devices, Wi-Fi transmitters, infrared bugs, light modulated transmitters and other similar threats.

Our TSCM Inspection team will conduct visual, electronic, and physical investigations of systems that may be affected by technical surveillance measures. If any security issues are found, our team can use counter measures to block the device or can gather evidence so that the victim company can report to law enforcement or pursue legal action against those individuals involved in the technical security breach.

A regular TSCM Inspection will include:

• Conduct a spectral search for radiating eavesdropping devices in the designated area
• Examine all telephone systems and communications hubs within the building complex
• Examine items and internal electrical wiring to ensure that these have not been modified or tampered with
• Test the electrical mains supply to ensure that no eavesdropping devices are operating over the electrical mains 
• Electronically and physically search items and furnishings of each office to detect and locate hidden capture equipment

A full report detailing the results of the electronic and physical searches plus comments on physical/information/Document security will be provided.

Contact Us

To discuss TSCM on a confidential basis, call us on (03) 5518 2906 or send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.