Conducting sweeps of conference rooms prior to confidential meetings is critical if you want to protect the information being discussed.
A felony wiretapping charge is being brought against a past board member due to the discovery of a hidden digital recorder being discovered during a confidential meeting. It was found when a participant in the meeting accidentally knocked a TV remote off of a table and found the recorder hidden under a cloth when retrieving the remote. It was determined that it had been recording for over an hour.
This incident occurred during a board of directors session of the Camden-Wyoming (Delaware) Fire Company this past April.
Such a discovery would be disturbing as well as embarrassing for any company, but consider if it had occurred at an important meeting at your company. It could seriously disturb stock prices and lead to the firing of key personnel not to mention possible leak of confidential information.
By checking access control records and CCTV they were able to determine who had planted the device.
From Delaware State News:
CAMDEN — Investigation into an allegedly hidden digital recorder accidentally discovered during a Camden-Wyoming Fire Company meeting last spring led to a felony wiretapping charge against a past board member, police said in a probable cause affidavit filed Tuesday.
CWFC member Christopher M. Dufresne, 35, of Camden, was also charged with two misdemeanor counts of violation of privacy regarding an April 23 board of directors session in which Camden Police were told he was never given permission to record. He entered not guilty pleas to the privacy counts and the wiretapping charge is pending, according to court documents…
The 7 p.m. meeting was underway, police were told, when a member “readjusted himself in the chair and knocked a TV remote control off the end table on his right.” A member whose name was redacted in court documents then picked up the remote to put it back and “discovered a digital recorder that was under a cloth rag on the end table.”
Members determined the digital device had been recording for over an hour, according to the affidavit. A detective later reviewed the items and found that “approximately 13 minutes of the board meeting captured on the digital recorder,” police said.
The meeting was stopped, according to the fire company, members were told to stop talking and the recorder was secured.
A board member asked for a key fob report [access control] and it was determined that almost every door in the building requires fob access. Access is based on a member’s position/responsibility, documents said.
A member returned to the board room with the key fob report, police were told.
“The report showed fire department member Chris Dufresne attempting to gain access to the Board Room approximately an hour before the meeting but was denied access,” the Camden Police detective wrote.
“Within a minute, another member’s key fob was used to gain entry into the Board Room.”
A fire company member told police Mr. Dufresne was allegedly seen on security video footage unsuccessfully attempting to enter the board room and then entering with another member’s fob, documents said.
The member said “Mr. Dufresne remains in the Board Room for a very short period of time and then secures the door as he leaves,” according to the affidavit. Mr. Dufresne was seen in security video after the meeting with another member in the parking lot, papers said.
Mr. Dufresne and a member then went to the board room, the narrative alleged, and entered the room as a member stood outside in the hallway. Mr. Dufresne then left the room and both members walked out of view, the affidavit stated…
[Read more at Delaware State News]
Cardboard shelf made for a digital recorder was found under a board room table during a recent TSCM sweep.
On one of our recent sweeps, we found a tiny shelf made from torn cardboard that had been stapled under the conference table. The shelf was just the right size for a small digital recorder or even a cell phone. Unfortunately for the client, this was found after they had suffered a leak and decided to call in a sweep to help figure out what had happened. As in the above incident, review of CCTV recordings helped to identify the perpetrator.
Do not leave the security of your information to chance. Plan to have your board rooms professionally inspected prior to all confidential meetings.
If you have a small company or organization and don’t feel you can afford a professional TSCM sweep for every meeting. At a minimum, though, have your security personnel perform a cursory physical inspection of the room prior to the meeting. If anything looks improper or out of place it may need further investigation. Give us a call either way, but especially if you have any questions about items you may have found or particular situations you may be concerned about.