Fuller Group Security

Revised:  07/17/2003

I received a telephone call from a lady in Perth, Australia a few weeks ago.  She asked me if something called the OSCOR 5000 really could find all the different types of bugs that might be in her boss’s office.   I replied that the OSCOR stood a very good chance of detecting most  types of bugs.  Surprisingly she seemed most upset, thanked me and terminated the call. Perhaps she spent the afternoon removing the bugs she’d installed?

Its nearly 4 years since I saw my first OSCOR.  In fact I found out about the OSCOR via the Internet in early 1997.  At US$15,000 it was a considerable investment and is still my largest internet induced purchase.  But my Oscor has paid for itself many times over and provided a value added service to my customers that is unequalled. 

The purpose of this article is to provide non-technical executives and managers with an easy to understand explanation of what the OSCOR can and cannot do in performing electronic countermeasures or sweeping.

So What is an OSCOR and What Can it do?

The OSCOR is a very sophisticated radio receiver designed especially for electronic countermeasures work.  It is lightweight, weighing only 30lbs, and is housed inside a very strong executive briefcase.  The OSCOR allows the operator to search the radio frequency spectrum to locate and listen in to a radio signal. An example might be an FM radio station or a television station.

Many electronic eavesdropping devices are in effect mini radio stations and in most cases exhibit the same signal characteristics as a television station or commercial radio station signal. However the eavesdropping device is not as powerful as the television or radio station. 

Think of it this way- a television station transmits to an entire city and millions of homes.  A low powered and unsophisticated eavesdropping device might transmit 50 yards or less in a line of sight situation.  In a real word situation this signal could be hampered by a garden fence, tree, building structures or landscaping.

When an eavesdropping device is transmitting, there must be a receiver to collect the information.  This is often referred to as the “Listening Post.”  The receiver might be as simple as a radio scanner purchased from Radio Shack for $100.  However the quality of the receiver and its ability to enhance or improve the reception also determines how far an eavesdropping device can be positioned from the listening post.  Also different types of aerials can improve both transmission and reception.

So what are the commonly manufactured electronic eavesdropping devices?  A partial list might include:

	Radio transmitters
	Tape recorders
	Baby monitors plugged into the electricity socket
	Hidden wireless video cameras
	Telephone radio bugs
	Modified electricity wall sockets and power adaptors
	Mobile telephones.
	Infra red transmissions

These bugs are quick and easy to install.  They can be brought into and out of important meetings in a pocket or handbag.  Bugs can be battery or AC powered.  In many cases they are concealed in a single use disposable item.

Assuming that an operator has been trained on the OSCOR he or she should be able to locate these eavesdropping devices with relative ease.  More sophisticated eavesdropping devices require a greater understanding of electronic countermeasures, but again it is entirely possible.

An OSCOR will allow the operator to do the following:

	Locate a range of radio frequency eavesdropping transmitters that are
	broadcasting through the air.
	Locate Infrared type bugging devices. (Note: Infrared is not the same as LASER.)
	Locate eavesdropping transmitters that are broadcasting via the AC power
	lines in an office complex.  The AC power circuit in effect is the antenna.
	Tune into wireless video transmissions to find hidden cameras.
	Check telephones for radio transmissions and other telephone
	modifications.
	Listen in to suspicious wiring that might be found in the ceiling or wall
	cavities of an office when a sweep is being conducted.
	Collect evidence of eavesdropping activity on either a computer database,
	printer or by taping the transmission.
	Allow important meetings and an office environment to do be continually
	monitored.
	Allow remote control of an OSCOR via telephone lines.
	Assist in discovering where the Listening Post might be or to expose the
	guilty party.

How the OSCOR achieves all this is really the subject of a three day course developed by the manufacturer, Research Electronics International, based in Cookeville Tennessee.  However, a simplified explanation is that the OSCOR has a radio receiver and antenna panel that will allow it to listen from very low to very high frequencies, both through the air and via the telephone and power lines.

 The OSCOR Deluxe model comes equipped with two mini television monitors to display transmissions from wireless video cameras.  The OSCOR also displays both numeric and graphical information on its LCD display. 

The LCD screen also displays for the operator the results of different tests or signal manipulations carried out on a radio signal.  For example, there is such a thing as a “snuggle bug” which is actually a smaller radio transmission inside the envelope of a much larger signal.  The Oscor thus delves inside a radio signal and expose the hidden signal.

There is no doubt that the OSCOR will increase the effectiveness of any corporations’ security.  Knowledge by staff that their employer carries out regular security sweeps also effectively discourages bugs being installed. Meetings and important negotiations can be protected.

In summary, the OSCOR provides good detection and protection from eavesdropping threats.  Operators should have an interest in electronics although a security background is not essential to being able to effectively use the OSCOR.  For managers and executives, the OSCOR is an inexpensive solution to protecting information from theft.

Computer Crime: We are very experienced in providing international support to corporations and legal advisors.  In computer crime situations we can advise or arrange for you to send us the information, often providing answers within 24 hours.  Alternatively, in very sensitive matters we travel to your location. 

Data Recovery: Send us the broken computer disk or tape and we will immediately endeavour to repair the information.

Debugging Sweeps ( TSCM ):  We will travel to your office.