The targets of spies are not just big corporations. Sports teams and sporting events are rife with confidential information and adversaries looking to get an edge on their competition.
Here are two recent reports, one on spying concerns at the America’s Cup in Bermuda and the other on the Lyons rugby team .
Spy v Spy! America’s Cup Teams Keeping Close Eye On Each Other
[nzhearld.co.nz – June 22, 2017]
The definition of a spy is that he or she operates furtively. But there’s been no secrecy around the blatant spying of Oracle and Team New Zealand on each other’s boats during the five-day America’s Cup break.
Both teams have dropped all pretence about their intelligence-gathering ahead of the final resuming in Bermuda this Sunday New Zealand time.
With Peter Burling and the red-hot Kiwis leading 3-0 in the first-to-seven-wins showdown, desperate Oracle spies went about their work today with the subtlety of a sledgehammer.
Team New Zealand had not been out on the Great Sound the previous day but when the boat and crew returned to the water today, Oracle spies were everywhere.
The Oracle support boat then dutifully followed Aotearoa into the Great Sound, capturing more shots and footage.
Team New Zealand seemed unperturbed by the surreal situation.
That’s probably because the Kiwis are hardly holier than thou.
Team New Zealand has been doing the same thing, assiduously gaining as much information as possible to determine whether Oracle are capable of a San Francisco-style comeback.
Lions tour: Lions security regularly sweep team hotel rooms amid fears of spying
[Rugby Heaven, Stuff.co.nz – June 21, 2017]
The Lions are sweeping their hotel rooms to remove the risk of being spied on during their tour of New Zealand.
The Telegraph report that the Lions have asked their security team to regularly check for bugs and listening devices that could potentially be listening to discussed tactics among players and coaches ahead of the test series…
There’s no suggestion the All Blacks are spying on the Lions, but the tourists are taking no chances with a four-man team from security firm Veritas utilised to search for bugging devices…
“They are experts in electronic surveillance, to ensure that we are not being looked at or listened to.
“The team room, for example, is swept regularly and no one is allowed in there unless they are part of the squad, and if there is any suspicion at all they will do another sweep.
“Nothing is perfect in this life and if someone is determined enough they probably will get something, but all we can do is try to ensure that they don’t. We have a [security] team in there and they are good at doing their job.”
If you are not protecting privacy and sweeping for spy devices, you are not taking security seriously enough.
Millions of dollars worth of spy devices are sold every year. Who’s buying them? Competitors, reporters, employees, even executives trying to gain an edge and tap into your confidential information. Be sure to use a professional, full time TSCM electronic countermeasures firm. Information security is not something to take lightly.