Wiretaps are preferred when obtaining intelligence. If
you are conducting surveillance as a private eye or a law
enforcement professional, wiretaps can be most beneficial.
This is because they are high quality due to the fact that
they tap right into a telephone line, local area network,
CCTV video system, a PBX cable, or even an alarm system. The
other thing that makes wiretaps so popular is the fact that
they are harder to detect than listening devices that make
use of radiated signals. There are four types: hardwired,
soft, transmit, and record.
Hardwired. These wiretaps involve physical access to part
of the wire (i.e. access to a section of the PBX cable). A
second set of wires is attached and then the signal is
bridged to a third location. Communication between the two
parties is not interrupted, and if an isolation device (a
“slave”) is used as part of the bridge, there are very
few bug sweepers that can detect the wiretap.
Soft. Soft wiretaps make use of software. A modification
is made to the software that runs the system, allowing the
eavesdropper access. This may take place at the phone
company (most phone companies use some sort of digital lines
even for traditional land lines), or at a business (for the
PBX). This wiretap is easy to find if the person looking for
it can have unrestricted access to the affected system.
Transmit. These wiretaps transmit information, rather
than sending it along a line or allowing access through a
software system. These are fairly easy to detect if one uses
a good bug sweeper, as the RF energy produced by transmit
wiretaps is fairly great.
Record. As one might expect, record wiretaps are just
that: recorders. However, they are not like the hardwired in
that there is no line to a third location. The eavesdropper
must go and change the tape or disc out as well. This can
lead to being caught red-handed, but it is still a method
that works well enough for many private investigators.
Before deciding what to use, make sure you fully evaluate
your needs. Proper surveillance requires that you understand
your wiretaps.
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This article is about: Wiretaps.
This article was posted on October 02, 2005
