Introduction

Background

History

Types of Espionage

Epsionage Methods

Social Impact

References

My P.O.V.

Many of the methods used in all forms of espionage are quite similar. There are some techniques that were developed in the renaissance and are still used. On the other hand there are many new technologies that offer seemingly unlimited access to otherwise ‘secret’ information. The applications of new technologies, including computers, satellites, and scientific advancements have led to new and important spying operations.

In recent years, spying equipment and techniques have become more complicated than Sherlock Holmes could have ever imagined. To be successful spies must be able to gain access to secret information, steal or duplicate it, escape the area undetected and communicate the information to their courier so that the analyst can use the information to deliver intelligence to their agency. The individual needs of different operations and missions has meant the development of a wide range of cameras, listening devices, entrance techniques, code breaking devices, and concealments. All the equipment and technology that is used by spies much be easy to use, easily disguised and safe to the user. This section will examine numerous types of equipment and technologies that exist and cover the way some of them work. This section will also do away with some of the technological myths that James Bond, CSI, and Tom Clancy have perpetuate.

Gaining access

Gaining access to a secret area can be as easy as using a lock pick, or copy a key. These days, entrance can also involve over riding security systems or identity security methods. The addition of digital and computer based security has made the job of gaining access that more difficult for spies. However, it has not stopped them.

Cameras

One of the most widely used pieces of equipment in espionage is the camera. This equipment can take on many forms, especially very small ones. Spies use cameras to take pictures of people, places, and things that their agency might be interested in. To be most effective cameras for spies must be small, easy to conceal, and easy to use without being detected. There are currently subminiature cameras that exist that are smaller than a postage stamp. This is certainly small enough to make sure a spy is not detected.

www.boysstuff.co.uk/ images/prod_zoom_center

Subminiature cameras used in convert operations are often impeded in ties, buttons and watches, much like the photo shown below. This was a watch that the Steinbeck ABC wristwatch camera used by German spies in 1949. The pinhole camera, also pictured below was developed in the 1980s and used the four different pinhole apertures for lenses so that both close-up and distant objects can be photographed without a lens or focusing. One of the most famous subminiature cameras is the Minox camera. Invented by a Latvian engineer, Walter Zapp, in 1937 and manufactured in 1938, it was for many years a popular and widely used camera. This camera was not originally developed for espionage, but its small size (~8.5 x 10mm), quality photos, and ability to take 50 photos without reloading film made it perfect for covert operations. Currently, digital cameras are the most often used source of photography because they offer much of the same versatility the Minox offered in the 30s-90s without film.

Steinbeck Wristwatch

Digital camera concealed in s lighter

In addition to still photos, video cameras used to obtain streaming video images. These cameras are often placed in an area to perform long-term surveillance. Visual surveillance experts, called, watchers use many specialized types of equipment and techniques. However, like is generally the case, one of the most important parts of this work is not to get caught while doing it. Buttonhole cameras were first used by the KGB, the predominant Soviet agency for espionage and internal security, during the 1960s and 70s. This camera had a false button front which when removed revealed a lens. This may be one technology that most movies and TV shows get correct. Buttonhole movie cameras can be concealed in a suit jacket or under clothes. The camera user used to have to turn the camera on and off with a switch usually hidden in their pocket. However, today buttonhole cameras are available as digital wireless cameras. Modern technology like the silicon chip has made is possible to create smaller higher quality cameras that are small enough to be mounted in baseball caps, buttons, and shirts, where it can take pictures through material.

Cameras are often concealed in everyday objects that can be placed in a room or area and video or still photos can be captured wirelessly. Below are three of the most common concealments, a teddy bear, a boom box and a plant. All these cameras can take black and white or color photos and are completely wirelessly. These concealments and the equipment needed for them can all be bought online for about $250-$350!

This Teddy bear, nicknamed the 'Nanny Camera' is used by some concerned parents to watch the people caring for their children

Photos from the Spyville website, one of hundreds of websites where you can buy your very own espionage equipment.

Concealments and subminiature cameras are not limited to the small examples given here, there have been many creative and innovative ways that spies have used to get the images they need.

Smart Dust 

One of the coolest new gadgets that is hitting the market for espionage and many other applications is something called ‘Smart Dust’. Smart Dust contains many ‘motes’ or individual self-contained, millimeter-scale sensing and communication platforms for a massively distributed sensor network. That is these miniature devices, about the size of a grain of sand, contain sensors, computational ability, bi-directional wireless communications, and a power supply. These devices are able to perform a wide range of functions, including but certainly not limited to, motion detection, light detection, temperature and humidity readings. A Smart Dust mote is run by a microcontroller that not only determines the tasks performed by the mote, but controls power to the various components of the system to conserve energy. Periodically the microcontroller gets a reading from one of the sensors, which measure one of a number of physical or chemical stimuli such as temperature, ambient light, vibration, acceleration, or air pressure, processes and stores the data. It also occasionally turns on the optical receiver to see if anyone is trying to communicate with it. This communication may include new programs or messages from other motes. In response to a message or upon its own initiative the microcontroller will use the corner cube laser to transmit sensor data to a base station or another mote. The mote turns itself on and off to collect or transmit data. This ‘sleep’ function allows the mote to not only be smart, but also energy efficient; solving one of the most challenging design problems of the project. "We didn't want lots of people to have to baby-sit the motes," said Culler, creator and CEO of Dust Inc.. Culler received funding from the Defense Department's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to develop tiny, intelligent sensing devices. And that he did, these small intelligent specks have endless possibilities, as Culler commented, "we had no idea what the applications would be and never in our wildest dreams expected it would lead where it has.” This new technology has endless options, which makes it both exciting and scary. The possibility of releasing hundreds of tiny ‘motes’ into any home at the estimated cost of just $1/mote that could collect endless data and monitor movement is a little unsettling.

Smart Dust on a Penny! (that's really small)

A more visual explanation of how smart dust works courtesy of UC Berkeley

Audio surveillance

Audio surveillance can also be very important part in enabling eavesdropping. In order for spies to hear entire conversations without actually being in the room, tiny microphones are used with amplifiers, transmitters and/or recorders so that information can be gathered right, ‘from the horse’s mouth.’ Generally, each operation could require a specially developed listening device, and once the device is created, it has to be planted in the location where it is going to be used. Listening devices range in size from the spine of a book, to a pen, to a small pin hole and in the range the can record and transmit. The options depend on the need of the spy. There are many considerations that a spy must consider so they are not detected when conducting audio surveillance. Quality concealment is one, but not having their device detected is also very important. Data processing and electronic equipment, like that used in audio (and video surveillance) emanate signals into space and surrounding conductive objects. A TEMPEST technology is used by the US government to detect and prevent these emanations so that equipment is not detected. On the reverse side of this, some computer equipment must meet certain TEMPEST requirements so that it cannot be eavesdropped upon. With rather low sophisticated technology and a high enough amount of emanates, most computers can be eavesdropped upon.

This site created for UNIV 270 at Bucknell University Spring 2005

Direct all questions and comments to ebeesing@bucknell.edu