A SPY AMONG US
THE BLACKFISH FILES
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The Situation
The Situation: Alejandro came to the United States and built a small family construction business, which grew into a statewide enterprise employing more than 100 people, helping families throughout Florida build their dream homes. When Alejandro unexpectedly passed away, however, that's when the trouble began.
The Concern
The company began losing bids at an alarming rate. Being underbid occasionally was simply part of doing business. But now it was happening again and again—often enough that company revenues began to suffer.
Someone, it seemed, knew their numbers.
Our Client
Alejandro's daughter, Linda, served as the company's Chief Operating Officer. She and her mother were determined to keep the business operating, and came to Blackfish with their concerns.
His/Her Version of the Story
Every Friday morning at 9:00 a.m., company leadership and construction managers met in the same conference room to review upcoming projects. They discussed scopes of work, estimated costs, calculated margins, and developed the company's bids.
That information was among the most sensitive information the company possessed, and suddenly, their competitors seemed to know it.
Our Findings
Blackfish deployed a two-person Technical Surveillance Countermeasures (TSCM) team to Florida.
We began with a systematic physical examination of the conference room, inspecting the places where covert surveillance devices are commonly concealed: electrical outlets, power supplies, smoke detectors, light fixtures, telephones, furniture, ceiling spaces, chargers, docking stations, and other electronic equipment.
We then examined the room using specialized TSCM technology, including radio-frequency spectrum analysis, Wi-Fi network analysis, near-field RF detection, thermal imaging, and a nonlinear junction detector—a device capable of detecting electronic components even when a device is not actively transmitting.
As we swept a tall bookcase in the conference room, the nonlinear junction detector produced a strong response.
We brought in a ladder, and sitting out of sight on top of the bookcase was a small cell phone. It was powered on, but its ringer was silenced. It didn't belong there.
Further investigation revealed that the phone was associated with Donna, Linda's oldest sibling—and one of the family members involved in the dispute over selling the company.
The placement of the phone was particularly significant. From its concealed position above the conference table, its microphone could capture the conversations taking place during the company's Friday morning bid meetings.
Security-camera footage provided another piece of the puzzle: Donna had been arriving at the business early on Friday mornings, before the regular workday began.
The device offered a remarkably simple means of electronic eavesdropping. Rather than using an exotic surveillance transmitter, someone could place the silenced phone in the conference room, remotely connect to it, and listen to conversations occurring around it.
The sophisticated "bug" everyone feared wasn't sophisticated at all; it was a cell phone hidden on top of a bookcase.
Blackfish photographed and documented the device, preserved it using proper evidence-handling procedures, and transferred it to the family's attorney. Our investigative report, photographs, subscriber information, and supporting evidence provided counsel with documentation they could use in seeking injunctive relief and pursuing potential civil remedies.
The mystery of how confidential information could have been escaping the conference room finally had an answer.
The Outcome
Donna and the other family members involved in the dispute were ultimately removed from the business, their access to company facilities and information systems was terminated, and they relinquished their ownership interests.
Under Linda's leadership, the company survived.
Today, the business Alejandro built continues to operate and prosper—employing people, serving its community, and carrying forward the legacy he intended to leave his family.
Sometimes corporate espionage involves sophisticated technology and elaborate surveillance systems; but sometimes, the spy is already among you.