Posts Tagged ‘Surveillance’

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GPS Tracking: Surveillance vs. Counter Surveillance

Wednesday, September 30th, 2009

Newton's pendulumBoth Systems Finding Challenges in Courts of Law

“For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.”

Isaac Newton’s third law of motion could be loosely applied to the debate over GPS tracking technologies.

Every time a commercial product is introduced that will allow someone to secretly record or copy something or someone; another product will follow that will either try to find it, or foil it.

This is the case with the growing industry of GPS tracking devices. GPS tracking devices, such as vehicle tracking systems, fall under the category of surveillance products. These GPS tracking products – which locate and track an object using satellite radio signals – have only been available for civilian use for about the last 10 years. And already there is counter surveillance equipment on the market that purports to either locate the vehicle tracking system, or to prevent it from operating properly.

Courts struggle from time to time with GPS tracking data and whether it is reliable enough to be used in legal proceedings. Another question is whether the GPS tracking data was obtained legally. And a third: Does the vehicle tracking evidence lose any credibility if there was an attempt to block, disguise or muffle the GPS satellite radio transmissions?

Some lawyers have argued that if GPS tracking data is “spoofable” or “jammable,” it can’t be guaranteed accurate and it shouldn’t be admissible as evidence. Supporters of covert GPS tracking say all kinds of evidence (photographs, audio recordings, hard copy documents) can be tampered with, so all should be admitted as evidence and judged for credibility, case by case.

There are three basic types of devices designed in defense to GPS vehicle tracking systems.

  1. What is a GPS detector?
    GPS detectors work much like radar detectors. The hardware detects GPS tracking transmissions by using a radio frequency scanner. It does not affect the vehicle tracking system’s operation; It just warns the driver that a vehicle tracking device is present.
  2. What is GPS jamming?
    GPS jammers broadcast on the same frequencies assigned to the GPS tracking system. They try to deliberately interfere with vehicle tracking data transmission by blanketing the frequency with noise or blocking the vehicle tracking transmission completely.
  3. What is GPS spoofing?
    GPS spoofers also work on the GPS radio frequencies. They try to cause the GPS tracking system to transmit incorrect (spoofed) location data; or confuse the receiver into thinking it is in a different place than it actually is.

Should all GPS tracking data be dismissed from evidence, merely because the potential exists that it could be tampered with?

We approach this first by considering each category of GPS counter surveillance individually.

  • GPS detectors are nothing more than an irritation to law enforcement. Vehicle tracking detectors merely tip off the driver that someone is tracking them. What happens from there is the driver’s decision. Detectors, logically, would lead to the lack of evidence. The fact that the courts have GPS tracking data to consider means that the detector failed to do its job.
  • Similarly, GPS jammers are a major irritation to police who are following a subject with vehicle tracking equipment. This GPS tracking hardware will create gaps in the vehicle path or eliminate whole sections of a trip, but what remains of the trip should be considered accurate and reliable. GPS tracking position updates are independent of one another. The absence or masking of one reading does not taint the rest of the vehicle tracking report.
  • GPS spoofers are a different story because GPS spoofers deliberately feed the police incorrect vehicle tracking information. It’s unlikely a GPS spoofer would be involved in a criminal case because, in order to make a decision to spoof, the criminal would have to be aware he is being tracked. That’s not usually the case, unless the criminal is ordered by the courts to wear a GPS tracking bracelet.

Second, spoofers skew all the GPS tracking receivers in an area, not just one GPS. Suspicious readings can be compared to other vehicle tracking receivers in the area; and the spoofer can easily be verified or discounted.

Also, it’s very difficult to create a spoofed or fake vehicle tracking trip that makes sense and is believable. Temporarily throwing the police off your path is one thing. Making up an entirely new path is another. Like counterfeiters with currency, an expert might produce a fine reproduction, but it’s the little errors that will stick out like a sore thumb.

Should counter surveillance GPS tracking equipment be illegal?

Some say that would be like throwing the baby out with the bathwater. If GPS tracking detectors, jammers and spoofers create a safety hazard or if they are used to obstruct justice, they should certainly be regulated. But counter surveillance vehicle tracking equipment cannot be declared illegal, because they have a legitimate use outside of law enforcement. Counter surveillance GPS tracking equipment is used by adults who suspect that they are being electronically followed: their partner is spying on them, a personal investigator is on their tail, or their boss or business competitor is nosing around into their personal lives.

It is not uncommon for GPS tracking data to be presented into evidence in court, to prove an individual or object was at a certain location at a certain time. Vehicle tracking has earned its reputation for extremely reliable and accurate evidence in court. The presence of counter surveillance equipment does not negate that fact.

Case in point: A New York area man was recently convicted of the second degree murder of a babysitter. A vehicle tracking device his wife planted on his truck recorded the vehicle in a sparsely-populated, wooded area for an inordinate amount of time, when the man should have been driving the girl home from a babysitting job.

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Surveillance

Thursday, September 10th, 2009

copperThe Increased Demand of Copper

With the demand for precious metals such as copper continuing to grow, electrical and other construction companies have had to deal with an increased theft problem. Copper is used in high voltage wiring and other building material and can be scrapped for a good profit. This can be very appealing to the criminal element. Copper use to sell for approximately 80 cents per pound less than 2 years ago and since that time the price of copper as easily tripled. With the increased price of copper has come increased theft and now increased security measures in the form of high-tech surveillance.

Bangor Hydro-Electric Co.

Bangor Hydro-Electric Co., a local electrical company located in Bangor Maine, has had to deal with the problem of copper theft first-hand. John Greaves, an employee for the company, stated that random break-ins have occurred into their high-voltage substations over the past few years and the problem was becoming too frequent to ignore. Not only was the Bangor Hydro-Electric administrative staff concerned with their inventory and material, they were also concerned about the people attempting to steal the goods. Greaves emphasized the many dangers surrounding electrical wire and stated serious injury or death could occur if inexperienced people mishandled any of the high-voltage equipment. Because of the serious nature of the situation, Greaves decided the best move for his company to make was to implement a security plan that involved surveillance equipment and patrol staff.

Surveillance Equipment: Why?

Surveillance cameras and other surveillance equipment have been utilized by retail outlets, school districts, and cities to help prevent crime and monitor activities. After reviewing different surveillance programs and discovering which ones actually resulted in positive results, Greaves decided the best approach to his fight on copper theft was a combination of surveillance cameras to monitor job sites, personnel to monitor the surveillance cameras, and security staff to patrol the areas on occasion. Since copper theft is a billion dollar problem, the money Bangor Hydro-Electric Co. would save from the surveillance program would easily cover the cost of the operation with money to spare.

Surveillance Equipment: The Result.

It did not take long before the surveillance program began showing a positive impact. Surveillance cameras began capturing individuals walking around the high-voltage substations, checking out different large rolls of electrical wire or if any employees were in the area. The individuals were probably scanning the area and hoping to return under the cover of darkness to make their move. Unfortunately for the thieves, when the surveillance cameras recorded the suspicious activity they notified security staff to take additional measures and too patrol the site over the next week. The result was the capture of 2 unidentified men.

The surveillance cameras proved to be a valuable asset and the return of investment was immediate. When questioned about the incident, Greaves stated that surveillance cameras and program to reduce theft was one of the best moves the company had ever made.

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Surveillance

Thursday, September 10th, 2009

school-hallwayNew Jersey School to be Equipped with Surveillance Cameras

As part of a strategic initiative to try and give students and faculty additional protection, Millburn High School in New Jersey will begin installing surveillance cameras over the next year. Approximately $100,000 was set aside to finance the surveillance project and Patricia Balko, interim business administrator for the district, is hoping the security plan will broaden to other schools as more funds become accessible. Another key figure in the surveillance project, board president Noreen Brunini, stated that security initiative was not being pushed into action over any specific event, threat, or incident, but was rather a preventative measure. Millburn High School is already ranked as one of the state’s schools.

Surveillance cameras have become increasing popular with school districts as a way to monitor potential illegal activity as well as ensure the safety of students and staff.

Surveillance: The Answer?

Although Brunini stated that no specific event was the catalyst for the surveillance measure, the security initiative does come shortly after a high-profile and public incident earlier in the year where a student got into an altercation with another student, beating him with a baseball bat in the school’s parking lot. As horrific and barbaric as the incident was many people began asking some important questions such as:

Would the fight have occurred if surveillance cameras were installed in the parking lot?

Will surveillance cameras prevent this type of situation from happening in the future?

Is this an effective and appropriate way to spend tax dollars?

Would surveillance cameras have prevented a serious situation such as Columbine?

Unfortunately, the answers are not simple and should come with concern. Surveillance cameras are great tools to record the movements of people; however, almost all surveillance cameras used in schools are not monitored by anyone in a “control room” type of environment where staff can quickly dispatch authorities to the scene of any trouble. The most effective surveillance programs typically involve a combination of video surveillance and human monitoring. Surveillance cameras can do nothing to stop a situation when or if it is occurring all they can do is record the events for future playback. In fact, the surveillance cameras probably would have done nothing to stop or even help the student who was assaulted in the parking lot with a baseball bat. The only thing that may have prevented the fight in the parking lot, or at least brought a quick end to it, would have been additional security in the form of people, watching and walking the grounds of the campus.

At the end of the day, everybody wants to send their children and teens to school and have the peace of mind knowing they are safe. However, is the spending of millions of tax payer dollars in surveillance or security cameras the answer? Convenient stores and other retail locations are all equipped with surveillance cameras and that does nothing to reduce the crime rates. The only stores that have a solid track record of success against crime or deviant behavior are the establishments or companies that have security guards or personnel monitoring the grounds. Nothing is stronger at deterring law breakers than the presence of a uniformed guard. The questions that need to be addressed now are:

Is the money being allocated in an effective manner or is the school having a knee jerk reaction to one terrible and publicized event?

Are there other alternatives that could be more cost-effective?

Surveillance cameras have done little or nothing to reduce burglaries; will they be as ineffective in reducing school violence?

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Army Shopping for Super Surveillance Camera

Thursday, August 27th, 2009

HummerTo learn about the latest in surveillance technology, look no further than the U.S. Military. When it comes to the defense of the country, the government – equipment wise – pulls out all the stops.

Now the U.S. Army is shopping around for an amazing surveillance camera; an unmanned aircraft-mounted marvel, that would capture a 62-square-mile area in real-time and with great resolution from end to end. Even more impressive, the surveillance camera will have the ability to see at night by infrared light.

Rumor has it that this surveillance technology is only a few years away. Technology is advancing so quickly – and surveillance equipment is becoming increasingly smaller and lighter – that the goal is within reach.

The Air Force is already building a “flying eye” called the Gorgon Stare on a lesser scale, and it plans to flight test the surveillance system next year. The Gorgon Stare surveillance camera covers about 25 square miles. The price tag for an order of 10 systems is about $150 million. The Gorgon Stare will be mounted under the nose of a Reaper unmanned aircraft.

Reapers are often used by the military for surveillance, mostly vehicle tracking, or to hover over buildings and watch for escaping insurgents. These surveillance subjects are easily lost when they move out of range of current video sensors, which have a single field of view. With the Gorgon Stare, the range is wider, and it will have a set of 12 surveillance cameras. Up to 12 controllers can each run a camera angle, from a remote location, for an independent view.

As impressive as the Gorgon Stare sounds, the Army’s dream airborne surveillance camera is a taller order. The Army is looking for real-time surveillance over a much larger territory, with 2.3 gigapixels clarity (the closest sensor is currently 1.8 gigapixel resolution). With infrared range, (the ability to see warm objects like people and animals hiding under cover in the dark) the surveillance camera would be able to illuminate people and they wouldn’t be aware that they are seen.

Once the surveillance technology becomes a reality for the military, spinoffs should later become available for ordinary consumers. Certainly not, though, with a military-style price tag. Practical applications in everyday life for wide-range flying surveillance cameras include search and rescue, port and border protection, security, transportation and crime prevention.

It’s a reflection of the wide variety of spy and surveillance equipment, software and systems already on the market. Easily-accessible and affordable surveillance products include many that were once used only by government, military and law enforcement: GPS-based vehicle tracking devices; pinhole cameras built into ordinary objects like pens, neckties and wall-mount clocks; keyloggers for computer surveillance; and cell phone SIM card readers that are even able to retrieve deleted text messages.

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Are Surveillance Cameras Effective in Public? Private Property?

Thursday, August 27th, 2009

surveillance-cameraAn issue often debated by the public is surveillance cameras, and whether they are legally or invasively used by the government in public places, and on private property by private citizens.

In Vancouver, British Columbia, volunteers are taking up the cause. They are fanning out in the central business district and photographing and documenting every government-placed video surveillance camera. They are noting every surveillance camera on a map, which be available to the public in order to prompt discussion.

These volunteers believe that people will be surprised just how many surveillance cameras there are in public places, and they would be surprised where they are placed. The group is curious about public reaction: will it be one of comfort (surveillance cameras are protecting them from crime) or discomfort (surveillance cameras cross a line of privacy.)

Or is it somewhere in-between? What’s the government going to do with its surveillance footage? Catching a mugger on surveillance video is one thing. Using the surveillance video to bust jaywalkers and litterbugs is quite another. What if a man and women were recorded strolling in a romantic rendezvous? Who would have access to such surveillance footage?

Some say surveillance cameras are a strong deterrent to crime. In Salt Lake City, Utah, police said drug dealings at Pioneer Park were virtually eradicated after installing a series of surveillance cameras. It was well-advertised in signs at the park that the green space was under 24-hour surveillance.

Some people will argue that the surveillance didn’t stop drug dealing, it just moved on somewhere else to become someone else’s problem.

When people know that they’re under the watchful gaze of a surveillance camera, they will usually conform to expectations. For instance, we know toll booths, ATMs and gas station checkout counters are equipped for surveillance video. Ordinary people who generally follow the straight and narrow wouldn’t dream of willfully committing a crime in these surveillance areas – unless, of course, they are wearing a disguise.

Surveillance Cameras in Private Use

Are surveillance cameras helpful in deterring crime when used in a private home or business? Do surveillance images help apprehend criminals?

Probably fewer than one in 10 American homes is equipped with a surveillance system, though that number is growing, as surveillance systems become more cost-effective and versatile. Any home invader should be conscious of the fact that his crime might be recorded. The question is where that surveillance camera is covertly placed. Manufacturers are coming up with clever solutions for home surveillance, with cameras being installed in art pieces, lamps, clocks, books and dozens of other household objects. Surveillance systems for the home are also more durable than they were in years past. Many are weather-resistant, tamper-resistant, have large memory storage and professional-quality resolution.

Two incidents that happened in the United States within days of each other prove that home surveillance systems are useful for catching bad guys.

In Las Cruces, N.M., a man and two juveniles were arrested for home burglary after a homeowner’s surveillance system caught them committing the act. In Jefferson County, MO., a home surveillance camera recorded three men who are suspects in a series of neighborhood car break-ins.

In the first case, police investigating a home burglary found an empty, unlocked residence. Once the owner returned to check the home, he reported two guns, two video cameras, two laptop computers and a professional-grade digital camera missing. The owner informed police that he had a surveillance camera operating at the time inside the house. He installed it because he had been a victim of burglary before.

The surveillance footage showed three men who were recognized by police as residents of a nearby mobile home park. Questioning soon led to the arrest of the three.

A police officer said that without the surveillance footage, the investigative team had no substantial leads. There was no evidence of break-in (a babysitter left the home unlocked), no fingerprints, no footprints, and no witnesses. The surveillance footage gave police “full, close-up pictures of the suspects as they passed before the camera.”

In the second case in Missouri, about 10 vehicles in the same subdivision were burglarized overnight. Laptops, CDs, digital cameras, GPS systems, and sound systems were stolen. A neighbor’s outdoor home surveillance system kicked investigations into high gear. It showed three men suspiciously eyeing the surveillance system owner’s Camaro, about the same time as the other car burglaries. The surveillance recording was turned over to police and they have broadcast it to the public in an attempt to identify the suspects.

Many neighbors now say that they are shopping for home surveillance systems.

What to Look For

When shopping for a home surveillance system, consumers should first consider whether they want one that streams live (real-time), or one that records surveillance video for later viewing (passive). The majority of homeowners will choose a passive surveillance system because of its ease of use and practicality.

Price is also an important consideration. Many manufacturers will make several versions of surveillance products with several price points to attract a wider array of customers. Home surveillance systems vary from discount-store pricing to professional-grade surveillance.

Surveillance systems come in many types and have a number of different features. Most surveillance systems will be motion activated, have a time/date stamp, and have the ability to record in low-light situations. Potential surveillance camera buyers should decide if they want a wireless or wired system and test image resolution in variable light.

The most basic of surveillance cameras are simple bullet cameras, also called lipstick cameras. They get the name because of their short, cylindrical shape, about 2 inches. They usually have a fixed position lens and a fixed focus. These cameras are good for small spaces where there is a specific spot where surveillance recording is needed: (around a safe, car, baby’s high chair, front door, etc.)

Dome cameras usually have pan, tilt and zoom control. They usually have a mirrored or smoky globe so that, even if a subject notices the surveillance, they do not know if the equipment is directly facing and recording them.

Motion-activated, covert surveillance cameras are a third category of home protection. These tiny, compact surveillance systems are hidden in everyday household objects such as books, clocks and lamps for indoors and mailboxes and bird houses for outdoor use.

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