Counter Surveillance
Content
COUNTER SURVEILLANCE
Counter Surveillance is a skill that all Intelligence officers and professional operatives must master. Physical surveillance can occur on an Intelligence officer or operative no matter how he chooses to travel so he must be able to perform counter surveillance while walking, driving and on all forms of transportation. Classic Counter Surveillance is usually done while on foot (walking) and this technique is probably the most complicated form. It is also the most interesting and spy-like form of Counter Surveillance; all great Cold War stories always contain tales of the spy doing counter surveillance while walking in some drab, rainy Eastern European city. So what is Counter Surveillance? It can be best described as the act of detecting and then countering, or preventing any surveillance from continuing. Counter Surveillance is specific, well- rehearsed actions and techniques that an operative can perform that will cause surprised, confusion or aggressive reaction from those following. In any event, it allows the Operative to expose his followers. Counter Surveillance techniques can be quite overt or covert, depending on the operative’s reasons for needing Counter Surveillance. As a professional, it is always preferable to keep counter surveillance covert, as it should never look to those following you that you are performing counter surveillance. Glancing over your shoulder or constantly looking all around you, running up alleys, peering around corners and other silly things is unnecessary and very unprofessional.
However, an operative may choose to be quite overt and aggressive. While walking he may turn a corner then stop and wait. He may suddenly u-turn on a street and walk back the way he came. He may walk across a foot bridge and then wait at the other end to see who comes behind. If his followers are unskilled, they will blunder into his trap and be face to face with him. Their surprised reaction will be enough to expose or burn them as a surveillant and their embarrassment may be enough to stop them from further surveillance (their superiors will definitely reprimand them). For the operative, he will pretend not to notice, and just carry on. In the business this is referred to as Hard Core Counter Surveillance and it is something all surveillance officers fear. However, such aggressive actions can backfire because annoying or provoking a follower usually motivates them to work harder or to be replaced with more professional followers or even incite a violent confrontation. This is not beneficial to the operative. Alternatively, the operative may choose to be completely covert with his Counter Surveillance and use a Cleaning Run. The Cleaning Run is one type of Counter Surveillance that was perfected and used by Soviet KGB officers during the cold war and is consider the most elite form. Basically, it means to Clean oneself of Surveillance. While most Counter Surveillance techniques are used to detect physical surveillance, the purpose of the Cleaning Run is to lose surveillance. When a person has finished performing a Cleaning Run, they should feel confident that no one is watching or following them. This is done by utilizing certain techniques and by traveling a confusing, unpredictable route– all in an effort to lose surveillance.
An good operative always practices his Counter Surveillance skills: his tradecraft. That means whenever they go out, whether it is for spying purposes or to get a loaf of bread, they use their skills and naturally practice Counter Surveillance. As they say, Practice makes Better, and you just never know what you will see!
Counter Surveillance is a skill that all Intelligence officers and professional operatives must master. Physical surveillance can occur on an Intelligence officer or operative no matter how he chooses to travel so he must be able to perform counter surveillance while walking, driving and on all forms of transportation. Classic Counter Surveillance is usually done while on foot (walking) and this technique is probably the most complicated form. It is also the most interesting and spy-like form of Counter Surveillance; all great Cold War stories always contain tales of the spy doing counter surveillance while walking in some drab, rainy Eastern European city. So what is Counter Surveillance? It can be best described as the act of detecting and then countering, or preventing any surveillance from continuing. Counter Surveillance is specific, well- rehearsed actions and techniques that an operative can perform that will cause surprised, confusion or aggressive reaction from those following. In any event, it allows the Operative to expose his followers. Counter Surveillance techniques can be quite overt or covert, depending on the operative’s reasons for needing Counter Surveillance. As a professional, it is always preferable to keep counter surveillance covert, as it should never look to those following you that you are performing counter surveillance. Glancing over your shoulder or constantly looking all around you, running up alleys, peering around corners and other silly things is unnecessary and very unprofessional.
However, an operative may choose to be quite overt and aggressive. While walking he may turn a corner then stop and wait. He may suddenly u-turn on a street and walk back the way he came. He may walk across a foot bridge and then wait at the other end to see who comes behind. If his followers are unskilled, they will blunder into his trap and be face to face with him. Their surprised reaction will be enough to expose or burn them as a surveillant and their embarrassment may be enough to stop them from further surveillance (their superiors will definitely reprimand them). For the operative, he will pretend not to notice, and just carry on. In the business this is referred to as Hard Core Counter Surveillance and it is something all surveillance officers fear. However, such aggressive actions can backfire because annoying or provoking a follower usually motivates them to work harder or to be replaced with more professional followers or even incite a violent confrontation. This is not beneficial to the operative. Alternatively, the operative may choose to be completely covert with his Counter Surveillance and use a Cleaning Run. The Cleaning Run is one type of Counter Surveillance that was perfected and used by Soviet KGB officers during the cold war and is consider the most elite form. Basically, it means to Clean oneself of Surveillance. While most Counter Surveillance techniques are used to detect physical surveillance, the purpose of the Cleaning Run is to lose surveillance. When a person has finished performing a Cleaning Run, they should feel confident that no one is watching or following them. This is done by utilizing certain techniques and by traveling a confusing, unpredictable route– all in an effort to lose surveillance.
An good operative always practices his Counter Surveillance skills: his tradecraft. That means whenever they go out, whether it is for spying purposes or to get a loaf of bread, they use their skills and naturally practice Counter Surveillance. As they say, Practice makes Better, and you just never know what you will see!
