| Countersurveillance is one tool in a kit of | | | | Countersurveillance involves altering travel |
| protective intelligence tools used by well | | | | routes and routines, thereby confusing and |
| educated and trained protection | | | | intentionally misleading would-be assailants. |
| professionals. The key to successful | | | | Some strategies that can be employed by |
| prevention, disruption, and mitigation of a | | | | countersurveillance teams include making |
| potential threat against a client is the | | | | appropriate use of safe houses and |
| employment of effective surveillance and | | | | alternative residences for clients as well as |
| countersurveillance. | | | | using an irregular schedule. |
| | | | |
| - Countersurveillance is a proactive strategy | | | | Confounding adversarial surveillance teams |
| that seeks to prevent and disrupt the | | | | through deceptive countersurveillance |
| surveillance activities of criminals, | | | | techniques, however, is only one component of |
| terrorists, and those that have the potential | | | | a comprehensive countersurveillance strategy. |
| to harm a client or their assets. | | | | Ultimately, successful countersurveillance |
| | | | teams don't wait for something to go wrong |
| Providing effective protection to clients | | | | before taking action; they, instead, adopt a |
| depends on carrying out advanced surveillance | | | | modus operandi of perpetual preparedness by |
| and countersurveillance operations in such a | | | | remaining vigilant and thinking proactively. |
| way that it forestalls and prevents attempts | | | | |
| by hostile parties to gather and act upon | | | | One way that countersurveillance teams can |
| information about a client's activities or | | | | anticipate different types of threats is to |
| interests in such a way that it could cause | | | | engage in "red teaming" exercises where mock |
| harm (like kidnapping, robbery, extortion, | | | | perpetrators conduct surveillance operations |
| and even death). | | | | and help spot potential vulnerabilities. When |
| | | | problems or soft spots in the |
| Surveillance The fact is that sophisticated | | | | countersurveillance are identified, solutions |
| criminals and terrorist groups conduct | | | | could entail introducing more variety in a |
| surveillance on their targets before | | | | client's schedule to make their daily |
| perpetrating a crime or launching an attack. | | | | 'routine' more unpredictable. |
| During their surveillance, for example, | | | | |
| nefarious individuals look for patterns in | | | | Conclusion |
| the daily activities of their victims - they | | | | |
| might study how a protective security detail | | | | A concluding - but by no means final - note |
| of an important client, for example, is | | | | about countersurveillance is the commensurate |
| organized, how they operate, and then devise | | | | need for developed protective skills that are |
| plans to exploit perceived vulnerabilities. | | | | typically gained through years of residency |
| | | | experience, limited, 'spot' training through |
| Types of Surveillance Surveillance, the | | | | various certification programs or through |
| process by which intelligence information is | | | | advanced education and degree-granting |
| acquired in the field, requires careful | | | | programs that specialize in protective |
| technique and dedicated patience to gather | | | | security and intelligence. |
| good information. Surveillance teams, to be | | | | |
| effectual, must be aware of any | | | | Regardless of where or how one acquires the |
| countersurveillance tactics that might be | | | | necessary protection skills, knowledge, |
| used by those protecting their purported | | | | experience, and education, a |
| targets. | | | | countersurveillance professional should |
| | | | possess a deep understanding of how |
| Surveillance can range from simple | | | | surveillance works, how to collect |
| observation in person for a few moments to | | | | intelligence, how to analyze and identify |
| clandestine and highly technical operations | | | | possible threats based on that intelligence, |
| involving multiple persons or teams and | | | | how to develop and implement procedures to |
| expensive equipment for eavesdropping and so | | | | protect a client facing threats, and how to |
| forth. | | | | detect, mitigate, and where possible prevent |
| | | | emerging threats to a client. |
| Effective Countersurveillance | | | | |