Surveillance and eavesdropping are nothing rare these days – quite the contrary, it occurs on regular basis. Surveillance and wiretapping are now a common occurrence not only in industrial espionage but also in competition. Do you ever get the feeling that you are being followed or eavesdropped on? We will show you ways of detecting if you are being spied on and provide you with some handy techniques that you can try out yourself.
It All Begins with Physical Surveillance
Before someone starts eavesdropping on you, they first need to monitor you for a while to get to know your daily schedule. Choosing the right type of listening device and having it installed is quite a challenging task – that’s why it’s crucial to be familiar with the habits of the followed person. Based on the information, the attacker can determine whether it is better to install a wiretap at your home or a bug in your office.
Static Surveillance
Generally, surveillance takes place at home or at workplace. It is rather simple for the observer as they do not need to move anywhere and just stay in the same place. If you suspect someone is watching you at home or at work, try to think about where in the neighbourhood might be the best view of the entrance to your house or driveway. These are the places where attackers usually carry out their surveillance from.
- If you are in a static location, pay close attention to your surroundings. Try to notice someone who is paying too much attention to the entrance or exit, or is even making notes.
- Take into consideration cars parked in the parking lot, whether they are cars or vans. They can make the perfect hiding spot for the stalkers following you.
Surveillance on the Move
If you are on the move, it is a big advantage for you and a huge disadvantage for the observer. It’s much harder to keep track of a moving target. The observer must move so as not to be obvious, keeping adequate distance while not letting the target out of sight. This might be troublesome, since if you stop, your follower should stop too – and discreetly. The first time they will likely get it right, but over time such behaviour is becoming more and more noticeable. The constant change between dynamic and static surveillance is exhausting for those following you.
- For example, if you’re about to leave a restaurant, inconspicuously check if anyone is jotting down notes. Very often the person watching you will be about to leave as well. These are the moments when you can detect the observer most easily.
Note the Similarities and Connections
Correlations, i.e., common features and connections, can give an observer away instantly. These are the very crucial details you need to pay attention to. Stalkers will try to watch you at angles where they are difficult to spot – so pay the most attention to these places if you can. The problem is that you might reveal you suspect being watched. The observer will then retreat even further into the background.
7 Simple Tips on How to Make an Observer Nervous So That They Will Reveal Themselves
- As you walk, look subtly behind you. If you stop on the spot and turn around without warning, you are sending a clear signal to the person watching you that you suspect being followed. Ideally, turn your head slightly to the side a few times, look at shop windows or cars, and simultaneously look around closely.
- Traffic lights are the most perfect places to do so – they give you the favourable opportunity to explore your surroundings without arousing suspicion. Stop at the crosswalk and take a good look around.
- If you decide to cross the road, you will again have a wide range of options, for example, at the crossing in the same and opposite direction. You can thus cover quite a large viewing angle.
- From time to time, stop and pretend you are looking at a shop window. It is a perfect opportunity to see the reflection behind you. Watch and see if anyone else is also stopping or otherwise mimicking your movements.
- Try not to rush anywhere and if you have time, stop somewhere for a moment. You can buy a coffee and drink it slowly in a café. Watch to see if anyone is observing you from outside, or if someone suspicious has come and is watching you inside. Being successful at luring stalkers indoors is a huge advantage for you.
- If you can get to a café or a restaurant, collect your things after a short while and pretend you are leaving. Get up and head for the exit – ideally if there are toilets along the way. Then, turn and head for the toilets. If you find that someone has also decided to leave or turned their attention to you and is watching you closely, you have probably spotted the person following you.
- When leaving a restaurant or other indoor space, check to see if someone who came in with you is also leaving.
TIP: Indoor spaces are quite dangerous for the people watching you and very often it is where they will give themselves away. They might get nervous and make mistakes. It is hard to leave the area at the same time as the person they are observing without being noticed. If they do not give themselves away, they will at least lose the trail.
Plan Your Route to Detect Observers
It is good for you to plan a route to detect surveillance, it you have the possibility. It should be a route that you can plan carefully in advance to reveal the stalker. A surveillance detection route planned this way includes all the points we mentioned above and puts them to practice, therefore, it is not quite easy to plan properly. However, if you can manage to plan the route, you will probably easily detect the observer. It is important to be sure that the route makes sense, otherwise the observer will easily figure out that it is an ambush and end the surveillance early.
Protect Yourself Against Surveillance and Eavesdropping Today
An important part of discovering whether you are being spied on or bugged is conducting an anti-surveillance check. Our experts, with many years of industry experience, will conduct a physical security sweep both at home and in the car, where listening devices are frequently installed. In the house, experts will search all rooms, including their furnishings such as electronics, furniture and more. Although this type of search is challenging, it is not recommended to be hasty in any way. Wiretaps can be really subtle these days, and you won’t find them on your own without experts.
Our experts will perform a wide range of advanced analyses to detect recording devices. They will perform RF spectrum measurements, triangulation and check the surroundings with a thermographic camera. Thanks to these advanced technologies, we can detect even the most advanced threats, including GSM recording devices with unlimited range, microphones and cameras transmitting via Wi-Fi signal, hardware keyloggers and passive hidden dictaphones and cameras. Once the search is complete, we will inform you of any threats that have been found and provide a detailed list of recommendations to eliminate the risks. We will also professionally dispose any recording devices found during the search. A convenient and immediate solution to be effectively protected against eavesdropping at home, at work or on the road are our speech protectors. In case you want to prevent eavesdropping in the office and your own home, we recommend using our Prime Omnidirectional Speech Protector, which will ensure that your meetings are discreet and safe. For meetings that take place outside the office, for business trips and to protect you while driving a car, we recommend the Shield Portable Speech Protector, which can last up to 4 hours of use thanks to its large built-in battery.