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A Practical Security Handbook for Activists and Campaigns (v 2.7)

This guide is dedicated to all those who have died for freedom. Many have been honoured; many, many more have no one to recall their sacrifice. It does not take much to be a hero, just to stand up in the face of injustice, when the odds are overwhelming, and stand firm for what you believe in. We honour them through our own actions to preserve the liberties of others.

The price of freedom is eternal vigilance

Wendell Phillips or Thomas Jefferson Disclaimer: everything in this handbook is for information purposes only. Please do not use it to do anything illegal, but protect your right to protest and change the world for a better place. We cannot take responsibility for your actions, though we say that you should be as active as possible. FirstPublishedOctober2004. Version2.7publishedJune2008 The Activist Security Handbook is asserted as the property of the ActivistSecurity.org collective and is licensed under a CreativeCommonsAttributionNonCommercialNoDerivativeWorks2.0UK:England&WalesLicense.Fordetailsofthe licenceviewhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/byncnd/2.0/uk/.Pleasedonotaltermaterialinthisdocumentwithout speakingtousfirst.Ifyouarerightwewillupdateit,butwronginformationcanputlivesatrisk.

1Introduction 1.1Whysecurityisimportant 1.2Whatissecurity? 1.3Settingupthesecurityprocess 1.4OtherResources<Newinthisedition>

2SecurityForCampaigns 2.1Basiccampaignsecurity a. Mediastrategy b. Youraddress c. Answeringemails,letters&phonecalls d. Websites e. Keepfilesencrypted f. Needtoknow g. Officesecurity 2.2Advancedcampaignsecurity a. Burningrubbish b. Papertrails c. Sources d. Backups e. Tampering f. Autonomousstructuring g. Communications 2.3Meetings(Basics) 2.4Meetings(HighSecurity) 2.5Secureinformationtransfer 2.6Gossiping 2.7Beingmonitored

4.15Debriefing 4.16Shittinginyourbackyard 4.17Conclusion 5SecurityforDemonstrations 5.1GeneralRules 5.2EvidenceGatherers&FIT 5.3Cameras 5.4Travellingtodemonstrations 5.5Debriefing 5.6FirstAid 5.7DealingwithProvocateurs

6PersonalSecurity 6.1Dealingwiththepolice 6.2AtHome 6.2.1Controltheinformationinyourhouse 6.2.2Preparingforaraid 6.2.3Phones,computers&emails 6.2.4Mail 6.2.5Beingawareofintruders 6.2.6Beingbugged 6.3Yourareaandneighbours 6.4Yourcar 6.5Selfdefence 6.6YourPersonalProfile<Newinthisedition> 6.6.1YourOnlineProfile<Newinthisedition>

3Dealingwithinfiltrators&grasses 3.1NewPeople 3.2Doyouhaveaninfiltrator 3.3Initialaction&gatheringevidence 3.4Exposingtheinfiltrator 3.5Dealingwiththefallout 3.6Gatherings 3.7Grassesafterarrest 3.8Otherinfiltrationmethods 3.9PrivateInvestigators&Police

7Surveillance 7.1Preparationforsurveillancedetection 7.2Vehicles 7.3Onfoot 7.4Ruralsurveillance 7.5Countersurveillance 7.6Blatantsurveillance

8ComputerSecurity&InternetPrivacy 8.1Security 8.2InternetPrivacy

4SecurityForActions 4.1Choosingpeople 4.2Scoutingoutthearea 4.3Planning 4.4Communications 4.5Acquiringequipment 4.6Clothing&othertraceables 4.7Disposingofequipment/clothes 4.8Communiqus&photos 4.9Mobilephones 4.10Phoneboxes 4.11CCTV 4.12Travelling 4.13BeingChased 4.14Evidencegatheringtools

9UKLegalIssues 9.1RegulationofInternetPowersAct<UPDATED>

10Talkingtoothersaboutsecurity 11Futureshocks 12ClosedCulturevs.OpenCulture 13WritingLetters 14MobilePhones<UPDATED>

15Conclusion 16Finalnote,contactdetails&Disclaimer

1.Introduction
Thisbookletisanintroductiontosecurityforactionandactivists.Itishopeditwillprovideyouwiththenecessaryinformation fortakingactionandforeffectivecampaigninginthefaceofstateandcorporateoppression. Theauthorsareactivistswhohavebeentakingdirectactionandcampaigningonavarietyofissuesformanyyears.Inthattime theyhave encountered thestate and various opponents on anumber of different levels and survived to tell the tale (forthe mostpart).Itisasummationofourexperienceinthehopethatithelpsyouavoidsomeofourmistakes. Muchofthematerialinthisbookiscommonsense.Thereisalotofinformationcontainedinitbutitshouldbefairlyobviousfor themostpart.Youwillnotneedallofit,butyoushouldfindtheinformationtodealwithanysituationyoumaybeinorplanning for.Inplaceswehavebeenrepetitioussothateachchapterisabletostandasmuchaspossibleonitsown,thoughweurgeyou toreadallofthischapterlikemostactionsandcampaigns,thephilosophicalgroundworkisvital. Theapproachwerecommendistofirstworkoutwhatsortofthreatyoufeelyouarefacingandlearnaccordingly.Ifyoudonot needtoworryaboutstuffbecauseyouarenotactiveinaparticulardirection,thendonotstressaboutit.Itisbettertobeclear aboutwhatyouaredoingthantryingtobeeverything. Ifyouhavenewinformationorwehave mademistakesthenpleaseletusknowathandbook@activistsecurity.orgsowecan update thenext version. This is vital as wrong informationcan bring about to a false sense of security which in turn leads to actionsandcampaignsbeingcompromised.

1.1Whysecurityisimportant
Securityisimportantasweliveinaworldwhereupsettingthestatusquotochangetheworldforthebetterisgenerallymetby abacklash.Governments,lawenforcementagenciesandcorporationsallhavevestedinterestsincriminalizing,disruptingand suppressingactivistgroupsofallpersuasions.Securityisneededtoensureourcontinuedsuccess.Wealsohaveabasicrightto protectyourprivacyandanonymityfromunwarrantedintrusion. Forthosewhosaythatweshouldnthaveanythingtohideorshouldmakeaprincipledstandonit,wellweliveinaworldwhere democracyissubverteddailyandthepeopledoingitthemostarethoseinpower.Aslongasgovernmentsandtheirsupporting apparatuspermitcorruptionthroughtheirclosedandsecretivenaturesthenweneedtorespondinkindforourownprotection. Threatsdonotjustcomefromthestate.Therearesituationsweremediaorganisationswiththeirownagendawillattemptto targetcampaigngroups.Privateinvestigatorsalsoneedtobefactoredinasthreats.Bothhavedistinctissueswhichalsoneedto bedealtwithtoensureyourmessagesuccessfullygetstothepublicwithoutbeinginterceptedordisrupted.

1.2Whatissecurity?
Everybodyhastheirownideasofwhatsecurityis,andindeedsecurityisaveryindividualissue.Differentpeoplehavedifferent needs, and no one solution fits all. What works for someone else may not work for you. However, there are certain fundamentalsthatapplytoallsituations. Securityisaprocessthatprotectsyouinsomefashion,whetherintherunupto,duringoraftertheevent(s)youareinvolvedin. Thismeans,thatsecurityistheretofacilitatethesmoothoperationofyouraction,campaign,etc.andhelpkeepeveryonesafe. Acommonmistakeisequatingparanoiawithsecurity.Paranoiaisoftenusedasanexcusenottotakeactionthroughfearof whatcangowrongnormallybyoverstatingtheomnipotenceofopponents.Inourexperienceparanoidpeoplehavelittleto fearastheyaretoonervoustodoanythingthatwouldactuallyputthematrisk.Indeed,fewevenhavesecuritymeasuresputin place.Thissortoffearmeansyoueffectivelydefeatyourself. Thereisnosuchthingasa100%failsafesystem,andnotdoingactionsbecauseyoucannotreachthatlevelofsecurityisnotan excuseforcoppingout.Thereisalwayssomerisk;andsecurityprocesseshelpreducethatrisktoanacceptablelevel.Itisupto youtodefinewhattheacceptablelevelofriskisandhowbestyoucandealwithit.Sometimesyoujusthavetotakeachance. Securityisnotasinglething;itisaprocessandastateofmind.Youcannotputdownandpickupsecurityatwhim.Forsecurity tobeeffectiveandworththetimeandeffortputintoit,ithastobebuiltintoyourlife.Ideally,itbecomessecondnature;thatis, you automatically go through the processes that keep you secure. This creates a mindset that helps you avoid errors of judgement you may regret later. There are objects and software that will aid your security, but simply having them is not securityinitself;theyneedtobearepartofanactivesecurityprocess.Forexample,thereisnopointhavingabugscannerifyou dontuseitonaregularbasis.Likewiseantivirussoftwarewillnotprotectyourcomputerunlessitupdatedregularly. 3

Therearemanylevelstosecurity,butitneedstobebuiltintoyourlife/campaign/actionrightfromthestart.Pickingituphalf waythroughorafteranactionisgenerallytoolate.Hence,whenyoustartplanning,thinkaboutthesituationandthethreats that may arise, so you are incorporating features that protect your security as you go along. It makes protecting yourself far easierandmeansyouarelesslikelytomakemistakes. Themostimportantlessonwhenitcomestosecurityistheequation: Security=Time+Effort Youcannotgetaroundthisbasicfact;everysecuritymeasurewillhavesomesortofimpactonyourlife,includingwork.Security requires youto be proactive and to put the effort in. And youneed tobeprepared for this.Once youhave decided on the appropriatesecurityprocess,thereisnoroomforshortcuts.Shortcutsaregapingholesinyourplanthatendupcompromising you.Yes,therearetimeswhenyouarejusttootiredtoencryptallyoursensitivefiles,butwhatisthatonehalfhourcompared totheprisonsentencewhichmayawaityoushouldyougetraidedthefollowingmorning? Finally,ifyouarepartofagroup,securityisnotjustaboutyourself,butabouteveryoneyouareinvolvedwith.Slacknessonyour partmeansareyoucompromisingthem,andyoudohavearesponsibilitytothem.Ifyouaremakingmistakeswhichallowyour opponentstofindoutcrucialandsensitivedataonyourcolleaguesthenyouareeffectivelybetrayingthem.Notacomfortable thought,butanimportantone.

1.3SettinguptheSecurityProcess
Wenotedabovethatsecurityisaprocesstobebuiltinfromthestart.Thebestapproachistodecidewhatitisyouwantto achieve,makeplansandthenidentifythepointswhereyoucouldbecompromised.Onceyouhavedonethis,workoutsecurity tacticstostopthosepotentialcompromisesfrombecomingunacceptablerisks. Asasimpleexample,writingananonymousletteryoudontwanttoleavefingerprintsonit,sothesecurityprocessistowear gloveswheneverhandlingthepaperandenvelope.Youarenotmakingyourselfparanoidoverthefactthattheymightfindyour fingerprintonthelettersonotwritingtheletterinthefirstplace,butyouaresettingupaprocesswhichfacilitatesyouraction ofwritingthelettersecurely. Usingglovestowritealetterisclumsyandawkwardsoslowsthewholeprocess;howeverifyoudonotputinthisextratimeand effortthenitispossiblethelettercouldbetracedbacktoyou,anddependingonthecontentsitcouldmeanyoulosingalot moretime On a practical level for campaigners and activists most security processes are essentially about controlling the flow of informationaboutyourselfandyourplans,whetherelectronic,personaldata,papertrailsorphysicalevidencewhichconnects youtotheaction.Laterwewilldiscussthespecificsofwhatthesecanbeandwhattodoaboutthem.Whenyouunderstand wheretherearepotentiallybetrayinginformationleaksout,youarrangetohavethesecuritytechniquesandprocessestostem thatflow,oratleastmakeitverydifficultforittobetraced.

Asecurityprocessiseitheracourseofactionoratechnique adaptedtoyourneedsandsituation.
Keepinmindthatthestate/corporationsarenotallpowerfulthoughitmayappearso(theyencouragethisbeliefthemselves). Theyarerestrictedbybudgetsandsimplemanpower,oreveninfighting.Theyalsohavepoorunderstandingabouthowactivist groupswork,andjustbecauseonepartoftheorganisationhasagoodpictureofyoursetuporaccesstothelatestequipment, itdoesnotmeanthatitistrueoftherest. There are anumber ofgroups that havemanaged tobe very active and sustainedthat level of activity in the face of intense pressure. They have achieved this by having security built into everything they do, possibly to a higher level of security than actuallyneeded.Thishastheadvantagethatitmakesitmuchharderforthemtobepenetrated,andanymistakeswhichoccur donothavethedrasticimpacttheycouldotherwise.Theirlevelofsecurityisnotgoingtosuiteveryone;manycampaignerswill nothavethesamesortofpressureandunlessyouarereadytodealwiththesortofeffortwhichaccompaniesit,itmaynotaid youatall.Itisbettertofindalevelyouarecomfortablewithandabletoworkwithinthanstrivetobemoresecurethanis necessarysoendupsquanderingyourresourcesonsecurityattheexpenseofbeingactive. Althoughitisbettertooverestimatethanunderestimatethosewearetakingon,donotfallintothetrapofbelievingtheirhype. Itisacommontricktosendoutdisinformationaboutthetechnologicalandresourcesattheirdisposal.Therealityisalotofthe hypefailstomaterialiseorthetechniquesareeasilydefeated.Anothertacticistomakeouttheyhaveinfiltratorsandgrasses whentheydont.Bearallthisinmindwhenworkingoutyoursecurityneeds;someofthethreatswillbereal,butnoteveryone. Attheendoftheday,whatismoreimportantiswhatthestateandothersuseonapracticallevelindaytodayworkandnotso muchthetheoreticalpowersavailabletothem. 4

 Acommonmistakeactivistsmakeistobelievethatwhentheyarebeinginvestigateditistocatchthemforacrime.Thisisoften notthecase.Peoplecomeunderscrutinyassecurityagenciesspendalotoftimeandeffortonbuildingupprofilesofwhois networkingandfriendswithwhom.Thisisactuallyplanningtheirbehalfasitmeanswhensomethingdoeshappentheyhave betterideaofwheretogolooking.Theseinformationnetworksarevitaltotheirintelligenceandprofiling,andtheeasilybuiltup throughsimplethingsaswhoisphoningwho. Fortunately for us, their resources are rarely up for more than cursory work unless a political decision is made to focus on a groupinparticular.Thelessyoucanshowyourheadabovetheparapetandattractattentiontoyourselfthebetter.Anexample ofthiswhichwewillcoverlaterisallthephotographingatdemostheyarenottakingphotosofyoubutwhoyouaretalkingto orhavetravelledwith. Mistakeshappen,eventoexperiencedactivists.Itisafactoflife,especiallywhendoingactionsunderstressfulsituations.Thisis whyitisbestnottodosensitivestuffwhentired.Amistakeisnotanexcusetodowntools.Ifyoursecurityprocessissetup right,itshouldbeabletotoleratemistakesandworkaroundthem.Thisisnottosaythattherearenotsomemistakesthatcan completelyjeopardiseanaction,butnoteverymistakeisinthiscategory,andyoushouldrecognisethedifference. Ifsomeonemakesamistake,letthemknowbutdonttreatthemasapariahonthebasisofone;thetimetogetconcernedis whenmistakesarebeingmaderepetitivelyandtheyarenotmakinganefforttolearnfromthem,evenwhenitispointedout. Reviewyoursecurityregularly.Whathaschangedina)yourlife/campaign,andb)intermsoftheirabilitiesorfocus?Ifthere arechangeswhatdoyouneedtoadjust?Theworldofsurveillanceisachangingone,ifnotparticularlyfast.However,itistoo easytogetcomplacentandassumeeverythingisfine.Returntotheissueandgiveitconsiderationeveryfewmonthstomake sureyouareremainingonestepahead. Finally,sitdownandtaketimetoplanyoursecurityneedsandhowtheywillimpactonyourlifeandyouractivity.Besidesa willingnesstotakethetimeandefforttoachievegoodsecurity,goodplanningisvital.Itgoesalongwaytohelpyouimplement asecuresystemaswellasunderstandingand(moreimportantly)dealingwiththerisksandweaknessesbetter. Aswehavenotedseveraltimes,securityistheretofacilitateyourcampaignoraction.Itisnotanendinitself.Soremembernot toloosesightofwhoyouare.Planyoursecurityaroundyourcampaigningneeds,integratingboth,anddontletyoursecurity definewhatyoudoorwhoyouare.

1.4Otherresources
Therearenotmanyresourcesoutthere,thoughwehaveputlinkstowebsitesinpartsofthetexttobackupwhatwearesaying. However,therearethreethatdocomerecommend EvelineLubber'sbookBattlingBigBusiness:CounteringGreenwashFrontGroupsandOtherFormsofCorporateDeception (ISBN:9781903998144)isaclearaccountofvariousattemptsbycorporationstocounterthecampaignsagainstthem,including thedirtytricksandcovertactionstheyused.Somewhatdatedintermsoftechnologicaladvances,itisstillagreatinsightinto howthecompaniesthink,andlowtechapproachesbothbythecompaniesandthecampaigns.Italsohasmanyusefulcasebook accountsofstrategiesusedtobycampaignstodefendthemselvesagainstattackbycorporations. ProtectionInternational'smanualistheonlyotheronlinesecurityhandbookweknowof.Ithasaparticularfocus(ie.workingin countriesfreerabouttheuseofrepressiveforceagainstdissidentgroups)anddifferingpoliticaldirectionfromus,butwefeelit complementsourworkandisgreatforprovidingchecklistsofwhattodo.Itissomewhatshortonpracticaldetailsinplacesbut thinkwehavefilledmostofthegaps.Wellwortharead.Finditathttp://www.protectionline.org/Themanual.html The Register online newspaper has many stories covering computer security, hitech surveillance and miscellaneous privacy issues.Freeonlineathttp://www.theregister.co.uk.Hasanirreverentapproachandgenerallycynicalaboutgovernments.For more in depth analyses check out Bruce Schneier's CryptoGram newsletter; which regularly covers a much wider range of securityrelatedissuesthancryptography,inhighlyinformativeessays.Seehttp://www.schneier.com/cryptogram.html Finally,intermsofthemanytacticsofsurveillanceusedbypoliceforcesandprivateinvestigatorsalikecheckoutPeterJenkins author of several excellent manuals on the techniques used and which can be brought from most online booksellers.

2.SecurityforCampaigns
The fact you are involved in a campaign which aiming to change the status quo in some fashion means you are a threat to someoneinsomefashion.Thereisnotellinghowyouroppositionwillreact,andsomedooutofallproportiontowhatitisyou are actually trying to do. Security for campaigns is not just about protecting the campaigners from harassment but also protectingthecampaigntacticsandpreventingsmearcampaignsanddisruption. Whenthinkingaboutthesecurityprocessesyouneedinplaceforyourcampaign,drawupalistofallthreatsthatyoumayface: state,privateinvestigators,media,youropposition,internalissuesandwhattheycandoagainstyou.Oftenpeopletendtofocus justonthethreatfromapoliticallymotivatedpolice,butthesearenotjusttheonlyrisks(thinkmediaexposes,etc.).However, mostofthetechniquesdealingwiththevariousthreatsarecomplementary. Thattheprinciplethreatisoftenthestatehasleadpeopletofocusonthecriminallawsideofthings;butthisisonlypartofthe picture. Other tactics used against campaigns are civil injunctions and disruption, and what feeds these is information about internal structure and problems. If the opposition can draw up a detailed picture of who does what and how each individual relates to each other then it make it much easier for the campaign to be infiltrated and disrupted. Resources will then be directed at your mist vulnerable points and key personnel, Disruption can either be anticipating your campaigns tactics so effectivelycounteringthemandundoingallyourhardwork,orelsecausingsplitswithinthegroup.Itcanalsoinvolvethearrests ofkeyactivists,theft/damageofequipmentandsmearcampaigns. Theultimategoalisnotnecessarilytoshutyoudownbuttomakeyouineffective.

2.1Basiccampaignsecurity
Basicsecurityisthinkingaboutwhereyouareleakinginformation.Thisiswhereyouletoutinformationaboutyourselftothe public,themediaandtootheractivists,allofwhichcanbeusedtobuildapictureaboutyou. Belowaresuggestionsonwhatyoucandoasacampaigntoprotectyourself.Securityisnotjustaboutprotectingyourpeopleor information,butalsothecampaignsreputationasthatisalsotargeted.Itismuchhardertopromoteyourmessageifyouhave beensuccessfullydiscreditedorbeenpreempted. Asacampaign,youneedtodiscusssecurityinadedicatedmeetingandreachaconsensusonit.Dictatingsecurityonlybreedsan attitudewherebypeoplenothappywiththepersonmakingtherequestsandendupnotfullycomplyingwiththedemands.All campaignersinthegroupneedtounderstandthatthereisaneedforsecuritymeasureseveniftheydonothaveaccesstoall theinformationwhy.Opendiscussionhelpsbringsupissues,misunderstandingsandalsobuildtrust.Peoplewhofeelincludedin theprocessaremorelikelytosticktoitandnoamountofformalpoliceswillnotprotectyoufromfellowcampaignersfeeling atoddswiththem. Itisalsoimportanttoensurenewortemporaryvolunteersarealsobroughtuptoospeed,beforetheystartworkingforyou,not halfwaythrough.Neverbepatronizingaboutsecurity;explainwhyitisneededpracticalexamplesalwaysworkwell.Show people that security can be part of the empowerment process and not just a meaningless chore they are being forced to go through.Cooperationisthekeywordhere. a) MediaStrategy: a)a. Itisbesttohaveanexperiencedpersondedicatedtohandlingthemedia.Theywillhaveabettersenseifthe callisgenuineandwillbebetterabletodealwiththetricksofaninterviewerwithanagendawhichmaycatch outaninexperiencedpersonorsomeonenewtoacampaign. a)b. Haveapseudonymreadytouse.Youarenotrequiredtogiveyourownname.However,itisbettertobeready forthisandprepareanamesoitisonthetipofyourtonguewhenthemediaringup.Ifyousuddenlydecideto useafalsenamethenthechancesareyouwillendupstumblingoverit,sosoundingsuspicious.Usethefalse nameforawhileandthenchangeit.Itisagoodideatochangebothfistandsecondnamesotherwiseyoujust endupbeingknownbythepseudonym,whichdefeatsitspurpose. Ifaskedwhereanoldpseudonymhasgone,saythattheyveleftforanothercampaign,oroutoftheoffice. Press releases can be treated the same way. Consider sowing disinformation by using false names and positions. a)c. Bereadyforcontentiousissues.Watchoutforbarbedquestionsinthemiddleoflonginterviewsespeciallyon the background of individuals or direct action. No matter how fluffy you portray yourself as, journalists will alwaysdigforjuicierbitsofinformation.Bepreparedsoyouwillnotbecaughtoutandendupsayingthings youwillregretlater.Youalsocomeacrossasbeingprofessional. 6

a)d. Donotmeetpressatyourofficeorhomethereisnoneedforthemtogetafeelforyourcampaigninthis fashion,asyouactionsandstatementsshouldspeakforthemselves. a)e. Bewaryofrequeststomeetothercampaigners,especiallydirectactivists;sayyouneedtoconsultwiththem firstandwillgetbacktothemonthatpoint,butdontmakepromises.Themediaareinterestedinajuicystory and you cannot trust their promises of fair reporting or of putting your side of the story. Do not follow the mediasagendastickyourown. a)f. Themediaisaclassicmethodofinfiltration.Ifyouareapproachedbyamediaorganisationaskingformore than a straight forward interview, find out all you can about them first. Check out their existence and what otherprojectstheyhavebeeninvolvedin,orgetthedetailsofotherpeopletheyhaveworkedwith. a)f.i. Inonecase,anactivistwasapproachedtobeinterviewinafilmathomebysomejournalists who gave good credentials. However, on ask around and doing an investigation of the other they claimed to have been involved in it was discovered that they were rightwingers with a history of fittingupactivists. a)f.ii. In a more extreme case, a film company approached a campaign wanting to do a documentary on its activists. The campaign was naturally cagey but saw the benefits of such a documentary.Theymetafewtimeswiththejournalist,evenallowingforthefactthattheheseemed tobeconvenientlyonthewayelsewheresohimturningupinthetownwheretheofficewasbased did seem to check out. An activist did agree to meet with him in London where the journalist was based,gettingasfarasthedoortotheOxfordStreetbuildingwherethecompanywasallegedtobe based(andtherewasindeedthecorrectcompanyabovethebell). Suspicionswereraisedovertheprofessionalismandcameraworkofthejournalistandcontactwas severedpolitely.However,oncheckingitturnedoutthatnosuchcompanyexisted,orwerethereany othermediacompaniesatthataddress,andnoreportsinthejournalistsnamecametolight,including searchesinspecialistpublications. Muchofthiscouldhavebeenavoidedbydemandingmoredetailsupfrontandcheckingthemout, notjustgoingonthenumbersorclaimsthejournalistprovided.Itprobablywouldhaveendedsooner iftheactivistinLondonhadinsistedonactuallyvisitingtheofficeitselfinsteadofwaitingoutside. Note that suspicions were raised for other reasons not mentioned here, and this is not a tale for suspecting all journalists. However, when dealing with requests to meet frontline activists or meetingsinyourofficeitpaystodoatleastalittleresearch. b) YouraddresswhymakeiteasytofindyouwhenyoucangetaPOBox.Notsowellknownisthatanyonecanringup thepostofficeandfindtowhomitisregistered,includingaddresses.Astronger,ifmoreexpensivesolution,istogeta maildropbox.Thereareseveralfirmswhichoffersuchservicesandwhowillnotgivetheinformationoutunlessthere is a warrant. The one we recommend for the UK is British Monomarks (www.britishmonomarks.co.uk) who have a betterreputationforprotectingtheircustomersprivacyanddealingwithactivistgroupsingeneral. c) Answeringemails,lettersandphonecalls.Aswiththemedia,whyuseyourrealname.Lettersandemailscanallbe stored,andphonecallstapedbythoseontheotherend,thoughintheorytheyshouldinformyou. c)a. Whenansweringthephonegivethegroupnameasopposetoyoupersonalname. c)b. If you are posting on newsgroups, writing letters, etc use a generic email account that is not traceable to anyoneinparticular,orelseanaccountthatgivesafakename. c)c. Createafakepersonatogowiththefakename,incasepeopleringupaskingforthem.However,itisbestto changethenameeveryfewmonths. c)d. Ideally,thoughitcangetconfusing,considerusingdifferentnamesfordifferentfunctions,egmerchandizing, webmasters,etc. c)e. Donotgiveoutthenamesofcoworkers,ratherreferthemtobyposition/title. c)f. On no account should you give out home or mobile numbers of someone else without their express permission.Wewouldsimilarlyadviseyoudothesameforyourself. Ifyouaresuspiciousofacalleraskthemforaname,company,departmentandanumberoremailyoucanringthem backon.Thiswilldealwithmostboguscallers.Pretencesyoucanuseare h. Youarejustasecretarysodonothaveaccesstothatinformation i. Theinformationisnottohandandyouwillhavetogotoanotherroom j. Therelevantpersonwiththeknowledgeisnotcurrentlyaround. 7

k.

Askthemtoputthequestionsinwritingorinanemail(alsogivesyouaddress/emaildetailswhichcanbeused toconfirmauthenticityofthecaller).Fewthingsarethaturgentthattheycannotwaitthetimeittakestodo this,andoncloserinspectionmostdetailsarenotthesortthatareabsolutelynecessaryforajournalistsstory tobeprinted.

You can also search to check if they company is genuine and that the number matches up. Some will actually use detailsfromrealcompaniestogiveauthenticity,whichiswhyyoushouldalsoringthecompanyswitchboardtocheck that they are genuine employees ask to be put through to their office, as opposed to asking straight out if they actuallyworkthere.Oneadvantagehereisthatitmaygiveyouachancetolistentotheirvoicemailsocheckingiftheir voicesdoactuallymatchup. Thisalsoappliestodealingwithmediarequests,orphonecallsfromotheractivistorganisations.Dontbeoffendedif someonedoesnttrustyoustraightwayoverthephoneitisabasicandimportantsecurityprincipleforwhoistosay youareactuallywhoyouclaimtobe. Questionstobeimmediatelywaryofarethoseaskingfororganisationalorstructuraldetails.Oftenitistheinnocuous detailstheyarelookingfor,buriedinamongotherquestionssoyoudonotrealisewhattheyareafter.Socialengineers whospecialiseinthissortofinvestigativeworkneveraskforthedetailstheyareinterestedinstraightoutbutworkthe conversation so that you volunteer it of their own accord. For example, they may assume a fact in their question, appearingmoreknowledgeablethantheyare,sowhenansweringthequestionyouareinadvertentlyconfirmingthe fact, the real target of their inquiry. One book worth reading to see practical examples of how social engineers and private investigators use innocuous details about the organisation to find more sensitive information is The Art of DeceptionbyKevinDMitnick. All this is irrelevant if your volunteers are not also briefed on organisation policy, so this is a very important point to coverwiththem.Itisamistaketothinkthatonlycertainorseniorpeopleinanorganisationaregoingtobethetarget ofsocialengineeringattacks;ratherjunior/newpeoplearejustaslikelytobetargetedastheymaynotappreciatethe fullvalueoftheinformationtheyaregivingout,orthesameinstinctivefeelingforasuspectcall. Ifyoutakeonepointawayfromthissubsectionitis:ifindoubt,verifyandalwaysaskforthefulldetailsofcallersyou dontrecognizewhentheystartaskingquestionsaboutyourorganisation. d) Websitesareamineofinformationforanyinvestigator.AWHOISsearchcantrackdownwhoownsthewebsite,but youareabletoregisterittoaPOBoxandtousefakecontactnames. Information on the website can be used to build up an initial impression on the nature and structure of the organisation.Themainriskhereispeopleusingtheirrealnamesanddescriptionsofroles.However,alsoconsiderhow whatyouputonitmaybeusedincivilinjunctionswherethelevelofacceptableevidenceismuchlower. e) Keep files encrypted. As a very simple precaution any sensitive files you have should be kept encrypted on your computerusingPGPlevelencryptionordiskencryption. f) Needtoknow.Insomecasesthisshouldbetheguidingprincipalofhowyouwork.Havingmeetingsthatdefineoverall strategies or set campaign guidelines are a good idea, but when it comes to implementing the tactics to meet that strategy,workingonaneedtoknowbasisisbest,especiallywhenthereisadegreeofcovertnesstobehandoryour opponents are regularly involved in dirty tricks against you. As a rule of thumb, the more covert your actions and decisionsneedtobethenthemoreyoushouldbeworkingonaneedtoknowbasis. Thisisprobablyoneofthemorecontentiouspointsofsecurityandcanbehardtogetright,especiallyincultureswhich arequiteopen.Givingpeopleagoodunderstandingwhynoteveryfactshouldbepublicisthebestwayofdealingwith this thorny problem in our experience. There is some evidence that both extremes, from complete openness to an entirelycovertnature,canworkforgroupsinthefaceofheavystateoppression;thedifficultiescomewithmixingthe twoandisoutsidethescopeofthisbooklet. g) InformationManagement.Thisincludeswhatissaidincommunications,butisextendedtodealwithothersituations whereinformationmaybeleakingout,especiallyifnoteveryonevisitingyourofficeiscompletelytrustworthy. g)a. Havepolicesinplacetomanageanysensitiveinformationyoumayhave;thisshouldincludewhereitisstored, whohasaccessrights,rulesonnotleavingitlyingaround(inparticularlyifislettersfromotherpeople),etc. g)b. Doyouhavebackupsincaseitisalllostorstolen,withthebackupstoredoffsite? g)c. Doyouhaveasystemreadyincaseyouneedtogetallsensitiveinformationoutoftheofficeinahurry? 8

 h) Officesecurity.Whenyoumoveintoanewspace,secureit.Changeallthelocksifpossible.Breakinscanandstilloccur withavarietyofpurposes.Likewiseyouneedalsotobeawareofwhatsortofinformationcasualvisitormayalsobe abletoobtainfromyouroffice: h)a. Toplantlistening/videodevicessoscanregularlyandneversayanythinginanofficeyouwouldnotsayto youropponents,includingarrangingmeetings.Ifyouhavetomakeasensitivephonecall,donotdoitfrom nearyourhouse/officeeitherasthesearejustaslikelytobebugged. h)b. Toexamineyourpapersneverleavestufflyingaround,especiallysensitivematerialthatcasualvisitorscould see. h)c. Obvioussearchescanbetocreateparanoiaandfearinyourgroupaswellastolookforinformation;ifyou officehasbeenvisiblybrokenintokeepthisinmind.Ifyoursecuritymeasuresareinplace,thenthisshould notbethateffectivefromtheirpointofviewwhenitcomestogatheringinformation.Partoftheirdisruption techniquesistostealorbreakimportantequipment,sokeepbackupsofmaterialelsewhereandalsophysically securingyourcomputerequipmentwithchains,etc.Ifpossiblesetupanequipmentreplacementfund. Ideallyyouwillonlyletpeopleyouknowwellknowwhereyourofficeisandhaveaccesstoit.Ifyoumustletrelative strangersin,dontleavethembythemselves.Keepsensitivematerial outofsight,andpreferablyencryptedonyour computer.Thingstowatchoutforinparticularare Membershiplists Infofromconfidentialsources Campaigntactics. Personalstuffwhichpointtoyourpeopleshomeaddresses,etc Phonebills Minutesofmeetingsandupcomingmeetingswrittenonwallcalendars ToDolists Lockswehavebeenrecommendedasbeinggenerallythebestare5levermultisteaddeadlocks.Aswellasdoorsyou should also lock windows, or put an iron bar across them so people cannot squeeze through. The state and professionalswillhavelittleproblemswithmostlockssoitisimportanttoensurethatsecuritydoesnotsimplystopat thedoor.

2.2Advancedcampaignsecurity
Ifyouareunderactivesurveillance,therearemanywaystheycangatherinfoaboutyou.Belowaresometechniquestoadopt: a) Burn your rubbish; it is environmental to recycle, but it is not safe. By rubbish we mean all paper work, envelopes, communications, printouts, etc and anything with handwriting or fingerprints on them even old toner cartridges. Rubbishbinsareamineofinformationfortheinvestigator. Whenburningpaper,dosountilitiswhiteandthenscattertheashes.Onetrickforburningstuffinmostweatheristo createasmallfurnaceoutofatincan.Puteightholesabout1cmupfromthebottomofthecan,andusefournailsin alternativeholes.Restthelidofthecanonthenailsandburnthepaperinthecan.Toproduceafaster,hotterburn, blowintheholesatthebottom. Nevertrustthisjobtoanoutsiderortemporaryvolunteers,anddoitonaregularschedule. b) Papertrails;watchoutforleavingpapertrailswhenorderingyourliterature&merchandise.Ifyourliteraturebecomes apointofcontentionoryouwouldratheritremainedanonymousinrelationtoyourcampaign,workouttechniques thateitherstopthemlocatingyourprinterwhocaninturnpointtoyou,orelsekeepyourprintersatarmslength.That is,donotuseyourphones,personalmobilesorcampaignaddresseswerepossible.Collectinpersonandpayincash (whichmaygetyoudiscountsaswell).Destroyreceiptsaswellwherepossible. c) Sourcesareavitalresourcetomostcampaign,andaveryeasypointtodiscredityouonifitcanbeshownthatyoulet thosedetailsslip.Knowingwhoyoursourcesareisvaluableinformationyouropponentswoulddearlyliketohave,so makesureitiskeptverysafeandminimiseasmuchdirectcontactwiththecampaignaspossible.Meetingsshouldbe secure(seebelow)andusededicatedmobilesforcommunicationwiththem. Be very careful of how you record them. Dont hold meetings in your office or at any of your usual haunts. Pick anonymous places away from your officeand homes. Burn notes as soon as they are typed up(and encrypted), and stashdictaphonetapeselsewhere.Whenreferringtosourcesuseacodenameandkeeptheirrealidentitiesassecretas much as possible. Work on a need to know basis and discuss their existence as little as possible. Don't publish their workwithouttheirconsentfirst. 9

 Remember,companiesyouaretargetingcanbeextremelyparanoidaboutmolesandinfiltratorssoyoumayneedto giveyoursourcesomesecuritytrainingsotheydonotimplicatethemselves. d) Backupsofyourinformationandmaterialarevitaltokeepyourcampaignalive.Ifyouweretoloseyourmembership listorresearchforwhateverreason,accidentalormaliciously,thenitispotentiallyacripplingsetback.Keepthissortof informationbackedupandyourbackupsomewheresafe,suchasthehouseofsomeonewithoutadirectconnection withthecampaign. e) Tampering;todetectsignsoftampering,paintscrews,locksetcwithaUVpen,whichleavesamarkinvisibleexcept under UV lights. If the markings are scratched then it indicates that they have been tampered with. These markings need to be checked periodically or there is no point doing this in the first place. Do it in a large cross, marking the surroundingmaterial. f) Autonomous structuring. No one person needs to know everything and it is best that no one is put in this position anyway. The more a group can split into autonomous groupings working independently of each other the better. A networkcanconsistentlycometogetherandbreakawayintosmallgroupsandstillbeveryeffective.Perceivedleaders willbecomethefocusofattentionandaremorelikelytobetakenout. NewPeople.Volunteers,newcampaignersandtemporarystaffareallpotentialthreats.Thisdoesnotmeanthatyou shouldautomaticallymistrusteveryonewhocomesinthatisjustasdetrimental.Usecommonsenseandtrythemout before letting them know too much. With a bit of thought this can be done in a way that empowers them without makingthemfeelingexcluded.Iftheydontneedtoknowsensitivedetails,thenwhytellthem,oratleastwaituntil theyhaveprovedthemselvessufficientlytotellthem.Forexample,donotgivenewpeopleaccesstothemembership list,keysortalkaboutinsidesources. Whensomeoneleaves,itisjustasimportanttodealwiththegaptheyleavebehind.Deletecomputeraccounts,tidy outdesksandensurethatallresponsibilitiestheyheldarecoveredortransferred.Ifindoubtrenewsecuritymeasures suchaschanginglocks,etc. h) Yourcommunicationsmaybetapped,andnotjustbythestate.Dontsayanythingonthephone,orinemails,faxesor letterswhichcouldcompromiseyouoranyoneelse.Itiscertainlynotagoodideatodiscusscampaigntacticsorname peopleascarryingoutspecificresponsibilities,certainlynotrealnamesanyway. Be prepared to purchase mobiles that are only for specific tasks such as sources and do not use them for other campaignpurposesorringingfriends. Tip:iftheyaregoingtobugyourphoneattheofficeorhome,thechancesaretheywillalsotapthephoneboxesclose you your home. Finding remoter phones may be annoying, but it will also make life a lot more difficult for those monitoringyou,butavoidfavouringone.

g)

2.3Meetings(Open/Campaignmeetings)
h)a). h)b). h)c). h)d). h)e). h)f). Findingoutwhoisattendingmeetingsisjustasimportantaswhatisbeingsaidtothosemonitoringyou,asitallows themtobuildupprofilesonthepeopleinvolvedinthegroup.Soifyoudonotwanttobevisiblyassociatedwitha groupthisissomethingtobearinmind. Befriendlywiththeownersofameetingplaceandhaveyourstoriesreadyincasetheygettoocurious.Ifyouare inconsistenttheywillgetsuspicious. Noteveryonemakingnotesisaspy,butifitisoutofplacechecktoseeiftheyareusingshorthand,asajournalist woulduse.Ifthereisapolicyonthismakesureitisannouncedclearlyatthestart. Ifyouarehavingameetinggatherupanyspareagendasleftlyingaroundattheend. Dependingonthevenueandthepoliticalatmosphere,itmaybeworthbookingtheminthenameofanothergroup thatsoundsfluffier,anddoesnotarouseasmuchsuspicion. Wherecontactlistsarebeingpassedaround,etc,makesuretheyarenotleftlyingaround.Thepersoninitiating suchalisthasaresponsibilityfortheirfate.Suchlistsareagoldminetoinvestigators.

2.4Meetings(HighSecurityforplanningactions,etc)
10


h)d. Dont use a pub, especially ones commonly frequented by other activists or which are likely to have the police/masons/youropponentsworkersdrinkinginthem. h)e. Sometimescafesandpubsaretheonlypracticalvenuesforameeting. Ifthisisthesituation,keepaneyeontheactionsoftheothercustomersaroundyou.Ifitisameetingwithasource,sit facingthedoor.Boothsarenotnecessarilythebestplaceifyoucannotseethosesittingaroundyou,butitwilldepend onthevenue. Watchforoutofplaceclothesorbehaviour,egnotactuallydrinkingthebeerthey'veboughtornotproperlypaying attentiontowhattheyappeartobefocusingon.Amateursareeasilyspotted,whileprofessionalswillnotevenlookin yourdirection.Ifindoubt,movetoseeifyoucancauseareaction. Haveastoryreadyincasesomeonedoeschanceuponyourmeeting.Evenifthatpersonisanactivistavoidreferringto thepersonyouweremeetingasagoodactivist,orsomethingelsewhichwouldalertthemthatthereasonthepairof youweretogetherwasanythingotherthaninnocuous.Havingyourliereadymeansyoudonotslipuporyourmouth doesnotrunaway.Turntheconversationawaytosomethingassoonaspossiblewithoutbeingtooobviousaboutit (lookforrelatedtopicsandnotonescompletelydifferent).Avoidfidgetingandrushingoff. h)f. Varythemeetingplacesandtimes.Avoiddoingthesameplacetwiceorotherwisecreatingpattern. h)g. Ifyouarriveatdifferenttimes,donohangaroundwaitingtomeetupoutsidebeforegoinginitmakesitobviousit youarehavingameeting. h)h. Avoidopenspacesandparksintowncentres.Ideallyyouwantaplacewhereotherpeoplesittingormovingincircles wouldlookoutofplace. h)i. Themostsecurewayistoarrangeameetingisbywordofmouth(neveroverthephone/text/email)toassembleata point,andmoveonfromtheretosomewheresecure,suchasthemiddleofaforest.Thisgivesanopportunityforany tailstobeidentifiedandlost. Assemblypointsshouldnotberailwaystations,servicestationsorotherplacescoveredwithCCTVwhichcanbeusedto showthatyougatheredtogether. Dont over complicate things as that leads to mistakes. Initial meeting points should either be known to the various partiesorelseeasytofind. h)j. Ifthereareanumberofyou,haveoneofyougooffandseehowfaryourvoicescarry.Thisisparticularlyusefulfor whenyouareinapublicvenuesuchasapub,whereyoumightnothavecompletecontrolovervisibility. h)k. Ifyourgrouphasregularmeetings,arrangingtomeetimmediatelyafterwardstodiscusssomethingmoreseriousisnot agoodidea;itlooksmoreobviousthanyouwouldthink,anditishardertoshakeoffhangerson.Veryprivatemeetings should be kept separate, though the public meetings may be an opportunity to spread it by writing it on a piece of paper(tobeburntafterwards). h)l. Turnoffallphonesandtakethebatteriesoutevenbeforearrivingatthemeetingsite.Acheapbugdetectormaypick upifthereareanytransmissions(i.e.phonecalls)beingmade. h)m. Punctualityisimportant;howeverifsurveillanceisspottedandthemeetingissensitivethendonoteattend eventowarntheothersasyoumaybelettingthosefollowingyouitisyouaremeeting. h)n. Future meetings should be planned at this meeting if possible, and not left until later. Preferably do this by passing aroundthedetailsonpaper. h)o. Evenatverysecuremeetingpoints,oneshouldstilltakecare.Verysensitivestuffcanbewrittendownasopposedto spokenoutloud.Ifyouareusingpaper,firstmakesureyouhavealightertoburnitwhenyouarefinished,butbefore youleavethemeetingplace. Other materials you can use are etchasketch pads for ease of destroying the writing if disturbed; or use rice paper which can be eaten much more easily than ordinary paper. If you are stuck with having to eat ordinary paper, do it piecemealputtingtoomuchatonceinyourmouthwillgiveproblemswithswallowingit. 11

 Directionaland parabolic microphones are very powerful thesedaysand are able todetect stuff even through some walls.However,therearelimitstothesetoolsandifyoutakesensibleprecautions,especiallyinthesettingupofthe meeting,thentheseshouldbeverylowonyourscaleoffears(unlessyouareundersomeseriouslyheavysurveillance). Iftheyareaconcern,thenroomswithoutwindowsaregood,orcoverwindowswithheavydrapestomufflesounds. Addfurtherproblemsbyputtingastereospeakersnexttothewindow. h)p. Whensettingupmeetings,dependingonthedegreeofcovertnessandgeographicaldistanceofthepeopleattending then consider using PGP, face to face contacts or coded postcards/birthday cards for exchanging the initial meeting place/dates. h)q. Takecareyoudon'tgiveawayameetingplacebyscoutingitouttoomuch(thesamegoesforsitesofactions). h)r. Consider having reserve meeting places if there are unforeseen circumstances such as travel delays or the original meetingplaceiscompromisedinsomeform(police,overcrowding,etc). Ifoneofthepartiesisdelayed,thisallowstheotherpartiestoleave,turnontheirphonestogetastatementofhow longtheywillbe(perhapsincode)thatadelayhasoccurred,andthenforthepartiestomovetothenextdestination. Note: if there is a large time delay it is best not to go to the meeting point until the appointed time so as to avoid hangingaroundandattractingattention.Findingtheplaceandgoingsomewhereelsetowaitisnormallyokay.

2.5Secureinformationtransfer
Meetings, telephones, letters and emails are not the only ways to transfer information. There are a whole other battery of techniques available for use, many includingdrops where informationcanbe exchanged withoutparties meeting eachother, etc.However,thesearemoreusefulforsituationwhereknowledgeofcontactisthemostimportantthingstobeavoided,orall thatisbeingexchangedissensitiveinformation.Formostactivistgroupsthesewillnotbesignificantissues,sowewillnotcover them further here. Many are also no longer particularly available in modern Europe or as secure as they once were. Others requireanextensiveinfrastructureand/orhierarchicalnetworkwithpenetrationintotheinfrastructureofthecountryitself,so againarenotparticularlysuitablefortheEuropeanorUSactivist. However,wherecommunicationtosetupmeetingisdifficulttoachievesecurely(eglackofPGPorgeographicaldistances)then ameetingcanbesetupbyexchangingpostcards,letters,etcwherethereissomethinginthecontentswhichindicatetheactual meeting.Forexample,afakeletterwherethesendersaddressisforexample17GreenStreet,London,W184QR,whichcould translateas17.00hourson18thAprilandGreeniscodeforthevenue.Thishastobedonerightifsomeoftherecipientsofthe letters are having their mail watched do it too often and it could be picked up on as being a communication technique however,tooffsetthis: Varymethodsofsending(letters/postcards/etc).Lettersarebetterthanpostcards.Birthdaycards,etcarealsogoodto useaswellasbeingfarmoredifficultatstoppingcasualinvestigation. Usethenamesofpreviousoccupantsofthehousethepostisbeingsentto,orafakeindividual. Ifthemeetinginvolvesmorethanonepersoninanarea,rotatethelettersaroundthepeople(thoughthathassecurity issuesinitself). Usefriendsworkplaces,especiallyifpartofabigcompany. Maildropboxesusingfreeemailmailaccountscanalsobeusedtosetupmeetingsandexchangeinformation.Remembertouse codesfornamesandnottosendtheemailssimplystorethemessagesinthedraftsfolder.Pointstorememberareto Deletemessagesoncethey'veoutlivedtheirusefulness. Accessonlyfrominternetcafes. NeversendpasswordsovertheInternetwhenbringingotherpeopleintotheloop. Nevermentionpersonalnamesofthoseusingthedrop. Moresophisticatedsystemscanbebuiltupaswell,withrepliesbeingputintoseparatemaildrops.Forexample,PersonAleaves amessageinMailboxZ.PersonBreadsthemessageinMailboxZandsendsareplywhichtheyleaveinMailboxY.PersonA readsthereplyinMailboxYandreturnstoMailboxZtorespondinturn.Andsoon.Itisnothardtomakethismorecomplicated andsecure,butremembertobalanceoutwithriskandeffortandthatitdoesnotbecomeanimpossiblesystemtouse. ThereareprosandconstousingcommonfreemailonessuchasHotmail,YahooasopposedtoRiseUp.net,Resist.ca,etc.The formerhavetheadvantageofbeinganonymousbybeingburiedamongthevastnumbersofotherusersbutpoorersecurity;the latterhavebetterinternalsecuritybutdrawattentionbybeingsoassociatedwithactivism.Ouropinionisthateitherapproach worksandareequallyvalid. Alongsimilarlinesyoucanconsiderphysicalmaildrops(notgoodforthoseundersurveillance)andpersonaladsinnewspapers. 12

2.6Gossiping
Thisissomethingveryhardnottodo,especiallywheninternaldivisionsariseinagroupbutsmallsplitsaresomethingthatcan beusedbyinfiltratorsandotherslisteningintosowdissent,oreventurnpeopleintograsses.Italsohelpsbreakdowntrust withinagroupsoaffectingitsstrengthandcampaigningability.Itisbettertohaveaprofessionalattitude,anditthingsgetvery badtocallinmediators. Attheendoftheday,productivityandmotivationaremoreimportantthanbeingpartofagroupoffriends.Anaffinitygroup doesnotnecessarilyneedtogetonasfriends,aslongasthereisthesenseoftrustthateveryoneisgoingtofollowthroughwith theirworkandsupportifnecessary.

2.7Beingmonitored
We discuss listening and tracking devices under personal security. However, it does not mean that this is all they will use. Dependingonyoursituation,ifyourofficeissuddenlythefocusforanactionorthebuildingyouareinhasafluxofactivists throughitthechancesareitwillbemonitoredandnotdiscretelyeither.Watchforthefollowing: I. Peopletakingphotographsofthebuilding II. Peopletakingdownlicenceplatesinthevicinity III. Newpeopleattendingyourmeetingsandshowingexcessiveinterestinothermembersorsimplynotfittingin. IV. Keepanearoutforchangesinattitudefromlandlords,otherpeopleinyourbuilding,etcitmaysuggestthatthey havebeenapproachedandliestoldaboutyou. V. Peoplesittingincarsforprolongedperiodsatyourofficeorhome. VI. Youseethesamefacesrepeatedlyaroundyourhomesandoffices. VII. Increasesinpolicepatrolspassingby. VIII. Anincreaseinnumbersofpeoplebeingapproachedtobeagrass. Watchoutfordelaysandtamperingwithyourmailforexample I. Regulartearsinparcels. II. Cornersofenvelopsbroken. III. Themailarrivinglateandallatonce. IV. Mailregularlydisappearing. Remember,manyofthesewarningsignsbythemselvesarenotsufficienttoindicatethatyouarebeingmonitored,butiftheyall starthappeningandyouarerunningacampaignthreateningtobesuccessfulthenthechancesareyouarebeingwatchedin someway. SomethingyoucandoisputinformalcomplaintstoRoyalMail,etcabouttheproblems.Youcanevencomplainloudlyoverthe phoneforthoseinterferingwithyourpostandphonetomonitoryoumoresubtlyithasworked! Thoseopposingyoumayalsobeinterestedinkillingoffyourcampaign.Insomecasesithasbeenknownforthemtobreakinto anofficetosearchforinformationandtodamageimportantresources.However,thesedaysitismorelikelythatthepolicewill raid the office under spurious reasons simply to seize equipment you need to function. Backingup of anything valuable is important!

13

3.Dealingwithinfiltratorsandgrasses.
This is not a pleasant task,and fortunately they are few and farbetween. Infiltrators are expensive for the police to run and morelikelytobefavouredbycorporationswithdeeperpockets.Grassesarepreferredbythestateastheyarecheaperthan employing someone full time and without the attendant risks. You may also have problems with journalists trying to get informationforajuicyexposeonyou.However,inourexperiencethesecanbequiteeasytospotbythepointednatureoftheir questions,theirsuperficialknowledgeofissueandtheirinappropriatedresssense. Note,infiltratorsdonotfocussolelyonmilitantgroups,orthosesuccessfulindisruptingthestatusquo;attentionisalsopaidto groupswhichmaycommandalargeamountoffavourablepublicopinion,whichinitselfisathreattothestateforexamplethe ploughshare/peaceandantiapartheidmovements. However,tocallsomeoneasnitchisaveryseriouschargetoputatanyone'sdoor,andyouneedtobereadyforthepersonal consequencesofbacklashagainstyourself,andpossiblysplitthegroup.Soitisnottobedonelightly;itshouldnotbementioned joking in conversation behind someone's back as that is how nasty rumours start as misunderstanding develop. Even passing accusationswithoutrealfactualbackuporresearcharetobeavoided.

3.1Newpeople
Thefirstthingtodoistomakesurebeforecommentingonwhethersomeoneisdodgyornot.Manypeoplewhentheyfirstget involvedareoftenexcitedbywhattheyhavereadandheard.Theymaynothavehadachancetoadjusttooursecurityculture andneeds.Itdoesnotmakethemspies,andjumpingdowntheirthroatsimmediatelyornotexplainingthesituationtothem becauseyou'vegoneintoparanoidmodewilldonobodyanyuseandsimplydolongtermdamageastheygetdrivenoutorput of.Whatmayseemobvioustousisonlysobecauseofourexperienceasactivists;itmaynotbethatwaytoanoutsidersoallow themthatinitialspace.Explaintothemfirst!Wewereallyoung,naveandeagertotakeactiononce,sothinkbacktowhatit waslikethen. Iftheystilldonotgetit,thenisthetimetobecomesomewhatmoreconcerned.Ifyourcampaignisstructuredsecurely,agrass orinfiltratorshouldonlybeabletoachievelimiteddamage,plusyoushouldnotbeexposingnewpeopletosensitivematerial anyway. Itisalwaysgoodtovisitpeopleattheirhomesorjustlearnabouttheirbackgrounds.Maybeevenmeettheirparentsifsuchan opportunityarises.Thishelpsbuildthetrust.Butthemainthingistoavoidlettingparanoiatakingoverthinkbacktowhenyou werefirstjoiningyourgroupormovementandallthemistakesyoumadethen.Peopledonotjoinagroupfullycluedup,so dontexpectthemtobe.Agrouprunalongparanoialinestothepointitnearimpossibleorexceptionallyimpossibletojoinis notgoingtogofar.Thissortofparanoiaalsopreventsaccurateinstinctsfromdeveloping. Sayingthatiftheytrulybelieved,newpeoplewouldputupwiththeparanoiaandexclusionisapoorexcuse,andsymptomatic ofagroupwhichisnotdealingwithsecurityonarationallevel.

3.2Doyouhaveaninfiltrator?
Whywouldyoususpectyouhaveaninfiltratorinthefirstplace? Thingsgoingwrongwhentheyvenotbeendoingsopreviously. Youropponentsseemingtoknowwhatyouareplanning(thoughthismaybepartofadisinformationprogramtocause infighting). Constantinternaldisruption. Youareahighprofilecampaign. Youropponentshaveahistoryofcovertactionagainstcampaigngroups. Therearewaysandmeanstoidentifypeopleyoususpect,butwesuggestyouapproachanorganisationthatwithexperiencein dealingwiththeseissues.Inourexperiencethough,manyinfiltratorsgivethemselvesawaybybeingtooobvious. Infiltratorstendtogoforpositionsweretheycaneitherdothemostdamageorgetthemostinformation.Watchoutforpeople who: i) Volunteerfortasksprovidingaccesstoimportantmeetingsandpaperssuchasfinancialrecords,membershiplists, minutesandconfidentialfiles,evenindirectlysuchastypingupnotesandrecyclingthepaperwork.Oftentheyare notthemostglamorousbutquitedulltaskssopeoplearehappytopassthemontoothersdespitehowmuchthey exposethedetailsofthegroup'smembers. j) Donotfollowthroughorcompletetasks,orelsedoesthempoorlydespiteanobviousabilitytodogoodwork. 14

k) l) m) n)

Cause problems for a group such as committing it to activities or expenses without following proper channels; encouragethegrouptoplanactivitiesthatdividegroupunity. Seembeinthemiddleofpersonalorpoliticaldifferencesthataredisruptivetothegroup. Seekthepublicspotlight,inthenameofyourgroup,andthenmakecommentsorpresentanimagedifferentfrom therestofthegroup. Urgetheuseofviolenceorbreakingthelaw,andprovideinformationandresourcestoenablesuchventures.This dependscloselyonthenature&atmosphereofyourgroup.Contextisimportanthere,especiallyonhowheavily monitoredthegroupis. Havenoobvioussourceofincomeoveraperiodoftime,orhavemoremoneyavailablethantheirjobshouldpay. Chargeotherpeoplewithbeingagents,(aprocesscalledsnitchjackets),therebydivertingattentionfromhimor herself,anddrainingthegroup'senergyfromotherwork. Areinconsistentabouttheirbackgroundliesatthislevelarehardtomaintaincompletely,andslipupsdooccur; takenoteofinconsistenciesandfollowuponanyfactsaboutthemselvesthattheytellyou. Will be regularly overgenerous with their money buying people drink and/or drugs so getting activists into a conditionwheretheyaremorelikelytobeoffguardandtalkative.

o) p) q) r) s) Makefalseclaimsandexaggerateabouttheirbackgroundinothermovements. (This list has been adapted in part from http://www.publiceye.org/liberty/whatbugs.html it is also a useful article for U.S. readerswishingtoknowwheretheystandlegallywithrespecttoinfiltratorsandspying.) Remember,noneoftheabovearebythemselvesproofthatyouhaveaninfiltrator.Itmaybethatinformationisleakingthrough carelessnessorbugs.Orthatyousimplyhavepaininthearseinyourgroupwhoneedstobedealtwith(wewillnotdealwith thishere,butitisasecurityissueinsomewaysasitcausesotherstobecomedisaffected,feelbetrayed,etc).Seeaprofessional mediationgroup,butdonotletitcontinueunchallengedtothepointitstartsaffectingthegroupswork.

3.3InitialAction&GatheringEvidence
Onceyouaresureyoursuspicionshavesubstanceyouneedtostartgatheringtheevidencetobackthemupbeforemovingto dealwithit.Dontmovebeforeyouhavetheevidenceasyoucouldsimplyendupcausinganenvironmentofmistrustinthe group,leadingtoineffectivenessandsplits.Togatherevidenceconsiderthefollowing: I. Contactsomeoneexperiencedforadvice,oragroupsuchastheBuroJansen&Jansen(www.burojansen.nl)who specialiseinthis.Thisisasmuchforlegalaspracticaladvice. II. Putprocessesinplacetoprotectsensitivematerialorplannedactions;oftenifyoucloseofftheinformationsupply yoursuspectshavebeenaccessingtheymaysoondropoutanyway. III. Put together a file of all question marks over the individual with as much evidence where possible. This should include accounts of suspicious events/statements. You need to record dates, time, places, people present, and other material that puts the event into context. Also keep a note of any disruption to events or unexpected presenceofpolicethatmaybeassociated.Keepthisencryptedasitisvaluablematerialtoyouropponentandyou donotwantyoursuspicionstobreakourprematurely. IV. Discretely ask the suspect about their background and personal life and check it out. It is very hard to lie consistently all the time, especially if you are probing in areas where they do not have a cover prepared. Remember,coverstoriestendtobeamixofbothtruthandlies.Makenotesofanyinconsistenciesbutallowfor thefactthatpeopleoftenexaggerateanywayjusttofitin. Iftheyclaimtobeinvolvedinothergroup,approachthatgroupandmaybewithaphotoincasethesuspecthas changedtheirname.Oftenwhenaninfiltratorhasbeenexposedinonegroup,theysimplymoveontootherones inrelatedmovements,usingtheirexperienceandcontactstomakethetransitioneasier.However,watchoutfor othergroupstippingoffyoursuspect,sobecarefulifyouareapproachingthirdpartiesforhelpandaskthemto keepquietonthematter. 15

Somewaystoactivelycheckouttheirclaimsisbyringingtheirwork,orfollowingthem.Ahintsomethingisamiss iswhereapersonwhodrivesanoldcartomeetings,butcanbefounddrivingsomethingmuchnewerathome. Another thing of use is to distract the person and to go through their possessions to see if there is anything incriminatingparticularlyusefulatgatheringsormeetingswherethereislimitedtimetoevaluatesomeonewho clearlysticksout. V. Asyouprogressinconfirmingyoursuspicionsapproachothersyoutrustimplicitlytohelpyoubuildyouyourbody ofevidence.Butdoitcarefully,asitishardtopreventpeoplessuspicionsfromleakingintomeetingsandsocial events.However,ifseveralpeoplesuspectapersonindependentlythenthatisagoodsignyouareontheright trackaslongasitisnotjustonthegroundthatthesuspectisanewandkeenperson. Setatrap.Arrangeanactionormeetingthatthesuspectisinformedofandchecktoseeifthereareanypoliceor extrasecuritywaiting.Ifthesubjectistalkingabouttheirinvolvementwithothersinthegroupthismaybetrickyto organise. It needs to be planned carefully, and may need to be done more than once to catch the person out, especiallyiftheyareinforthelongtermsastheywillwishtoavoidraisingsuspicionbeforetheyhavehadachance to properly integrate with the group. Also one set of unexplained extra presence can be explained away as bad luck;morethanonceceasestobecoincidence(thoughitmaybebadsecuritypractiseonthebehalfofthesuspect suchastalkingopenlyoverthephoneaboutitinwhichcaseyouknowyou'vealiabilityanyway). Avoidactingtoooutofcharactersoasnottotipthemoffthatitisatrap,ordoingitinawaywhichmayarouse suspicionsfromotherinterestedpartiesthattheremaybesomethingworthinvestigating. Often,insuchasetupthesuspect,iftheyaredodgywillbackoutratherthandosomethingincriminating.Either wayyouknowtheyarenotupforitandnottobegiventrustlikely. VII. Ifyoususpectyouhaveanagentprovocateurconsidergettingthemtoincriminatethemselveshaveadictaphone readysowhentheopportunityarisesyouhavetheevidenceincaseanythingisusedagainstyouinthefuture,that itwastheinfiltratororthegrasswhotriedtoentrapyou.Keeptherecordingssecure(notinyourhouse)andmake backupcopies.Considertalkingtoalawyeryoucantrust. Most police infiltrators will try to avoid being active in anything that may be construed as illegal as this will compromisetheirevidenceincourtespeciallyifitcanbearguedtheyinstigateditorhadachancetopreventit. Privateinvestigatorsmaybelessshy. This is an extreme action and we really cannot recommend that you carry a dictaphone around as it put other activistswhoaregenuineatrisk.Plusifpeoplenoticeyoumightbetheonewhoendsupgettingsuspected.Only dothisifyouhaveaverystrongbeliefthatsomeoneisattemptingtosetyouup. Thereareotherproblemtypesbesidesinfiltrators.Somefromthemediawilldeliberatelyputforwardmadideasin ordertocreateamoreexcitingresponseorstory,sosettingupopportunitiesfortheirstories.Therearealsothose people who are genuine control freaks and will disrupt if they cannot get their way within a group, and end up destroyingitoutofpetulanceratherthandeliberatemischief.

VI.

VIII.

Whatisimportantisthatyoudonotgopubliconinsufficientevidencewhathappensifyougetitwrong!Youcouldloosea personwhocouldsubsequentlybeturnedagainstyou,andyoucanendupcreatingabadatmosphereinyourgroup,disrupting youreffectiveness.Peoplecanturnonyouaswell.

3.4Exposingtheinfiltrator
When you have gathered what you feel is sufficient evidence, you need to act on it. How you do this depends on the horizontal/verticalnatureofyourgroup.Fornonhierarchical,grassrootsgroups,thebestapproachistogettheinformationout tothegroup,whichyouneedtoplanfor. Firstly,arrangeameetingbetweenafewofyouwiththesuspectandputyourevidencebeforethem.Watchtheirreactionsand carefullynotetheirexplanationsoftheevidence.Normally,bythisstagetheevidenceshouldbesufficientforthemtochuckitin thoughmaybenotwithoutshoutingthatitsallahoaxbuttheycannotworkundertheseconditions,etc.Ifyouaregoingto exposesomeonesubsequently,getaphotographofyourinfiltratorwhileyoucan. Next,arrangeafullmeetingofyourgroup,andputthecasebeforethem.Itiswisenottoannouncethetruepurposeofthe meetingbeforehand,asifotherstalktoyoursuspecttheymaytipthemoffinadvertently.Youdonotwanttoannounceyour allegationswithouthavingthemeetingfirst.Ideallyyouwillchallengethesuspectshortlybeforethemeeting.Iftheydocometo 16

themeetingtodefendthemselves,theywillbebetterpreparedandchangetheirstorytoadapttotheevidence,soyouwillhave tochallengethemonthisthisisthemainreasonforhavingwitnessesattheinitialconfrontation. Attheendofthemeeting,askthesuspecttoleavetheroomsotherestofthegroupcancometoaconsensusonwhichside theybelieve.Itmaybeworthyouleavingaswelltoavoidclaimsofbias.Iftheyagreewithyou,thenasktheinfiltratortoleave thegroup Ifyoursuspicionscannotbeconfirmedmorethancircumspectlyyouneedtotreadmorecarefully.Apotentialapproachisto confrontthepersonwithyoursuspicionsasitmaybeenoughforthemtobackoff,butbepreparedforthesituationtobackfire andtheydenyanything(afteralltheymaybeinnocent).Continuetomonitorthem. If you have approached someone accusing them of being an infiltrator, and they have left the group before you have had a chancetospeaktotherestofthegroupyouneedtoactfast,andgetameetingtogether.Failingthis,youneedtocontactthem assoonaspossiblewithanaccountofwhathashappenedandbepreparedforthefollowing: I. Primarilyyouneedtoprovideyourgroupwiththeinformationtobackyourclaimsup.Itisimportantthatthings areclearandtransparenttoensurethatyouarenotseenasabusingpower. II. The exposed infiltrator may be angry and attempt to turn the tables on the people who have exposed them by causing disruption in the group, for example by ringing other group members and telling them lies about their exposure. III. Youmayhavetoexplaintosomegroupmemberswhytheyhavenotbeentrustedwiththisinformationtodate,as theymaybehurtbytheperceivedlackofconfidenceinthem Forhierarchicalgroups,speaktokeypeopleyoufeelcanbetrustedwiththeinformationandaskthemonhowtoproceed.

3.5Dealingwiththefallout
Oncetheinfiltratorhasbeenexposedconsiderdoingsomeofthefollowingtoprotectyourreputationandtorepairthedamage toyourgroup: s)a). Considergoingtothepresstohighlighttheissue,thoughthisclearlydependsonthenatureofyourgroupasto howappropriateitis.Itisatacticmoresuitabletomoremainstreamgroups. s)b). Letothergroupsknowthroughestablishedchannels.Publishaphotographofthepersononrelevantwebsitesand othernewsservices(magazines,Indymedia,etc)soothersareabletoidentifytheasinfiltrators,sothattheydonot fallvictimtothesameindividual.Bepreparedtosubstantiateyouraccusations.Sendalettertoallthegroupsyou areconnectedwithanexplanationandwhatyouareplanningtodotominimizetheproblem.Anexampleofhow oneinfiltratorwasexposedandadvertisedisthefirstNotesfromtheBorderlandbyLarryO'Hara,whichdeals withtheactivitiesoftheinfiltratorTimHepple/Mathews. Expectsomeuninformedbacklashandlossofreputation,butitisbetterthishappensthanpeoplefindoutthrough rumourwhichwillaffectyourcredibilitymuchmore.Thedangeryoufaceherearerumoursspreadingunchecked. Putinprocessesforpreventingitinthefuturecanhelpretainyourreputation,followinganybacklashoverthe s)c). exposureoftheinfiltrator. s)d). Putintoplaceprocessestominimisethedamagetoyourgroup.Thisisimportanttostopunnecessaryparanoia andinfightingthatcanariseespeciallywheresomemembersdonotfullybelievetheevidencegatheringorthere have been sexual relations between the infiltrator and group members. Some group members may not want to acceptthattheyhavebeenconnedinthisfashionandtheirobjectionsmaybebasedonthis. s)e). Change locks, passwords, etc. and analyse the affect on materials and campaigns they may have been involved with.

3.6Gatherings
These pose a different set of problems. However, final authority normally rests with the organisers, or a subcommittee specificallysetuptodealwiththisissue,toaskthesuspectstoleave.Youdonothavemuchtimetogatherevidence,butinour experiencespottingthemisnotparticularlydifficultasinfiltratorsdonotgotosignificantamountsofefforttocoverthemselves attemporarygatherings. Ideallyacoupleofpeoplewillgettogetherandagreeonastrategyfordealingwiththeperson,includingapproachingthemwith questions(eitherconfrontationallyorsubtlyastheoccasionrequires).Someofthesepeopleshouldberecognisableindividuals 17

to give the group doing this some legal standing in the eyes of the rest of the gathering, or else it should be convened and authorized by a spokescouncil where appropriate. The last thing you actually want is a debate on the process when you are actuallytryingtohaveaninfiltratorleave,oraselfappointedmobtryingtodealwiththesituation. Askthefollowingquestionsaboutthesuspectperson: Whentheytakenotesatwhatpointdotheydoit? Who are they watching and listening to? How keen are they on particular individuals and at writing down peoples names? Howaretheymakingapproachestopeople? What sort of questions are they asking of people; are they showing repeated interest in illegal or violent activity, or beingexceptionallynosyaboutpeople? Aretheyaskingquestionsabout'leaders'orthatsimplydonotsoundright(eg.Whereisyourcentralcommunications unit?) Whatabouttheirclothes,watchesandshoes(egleatheratananimalrightsevent)? Howdidtheyarrive,andwhowith?Havetheywalkedandleftanexpensivecaroutofsight? Whodotheyappeartoknow,ifatall? Howcluedinaretheytotheissues? Dotheyappeartobedrinkingbutactuallyarenursingthesamebeerthroughthenight? Aretheytakingnotesinshorthand? Havetheyprofessionaljournalistequipmentwiththemsuchasdictaphonesandcameras? Howhavetheylearnedoftheevent,andwhataretheirreasonsforattending.Whodotheyclaimtobeincontactwith? Whenyougothroughtheirbagsandtents,doyoufindanythingsuspicious Generallyinfiltratorsatsucheventscomesinglyorinpairsanddonotknowanyoneelsethere.Theycanlatchontoagroupof peopleandactasiftheyarepartofthesamegroup,somethingthatiseasytocheckoutsosimplybecausetheyarehangingout withothersdoesnotnecessarilymeanthattheyaretheirfriends.Theymayevenbefromothercountries. Whatoftenhappensinthesesituationsisvariouspeoplestarttogetsuspiciousofanindividualandstartpointingthemoutto thevariousorganisers,etc.Thisiswhyitisworthhavingatleastoneortwopeopleworkingonthiswhocantakethevarious feedbackandthenmaketheappropriatecalltoinvestigatefurther.Likewise,ifsomeoneisbeingunnecessarilyparanoidthen theirfearscaneasilybelaidtorestbylocatingthesuspect'sfriends,iftheyexistandcheck Inanumberofcases,asuspectedindividualhasbeenabletoprovidebonafidecredentialsonquestioningandbeingabletobe identifiedasafriendofaparticulargrouponcechallenged,sodonotmarchindividualsstraightoutofthevenue. Once identified to people's satisfaction, march them out of the venue. Use reasonable force to eject them but do not get excessive.Mostwillleaveoftheirownaccordhavingbeenspotted,butsomewillkickupafuss(journalistsarequitebadfor this)thinkingtoraisesupportforthemselvesthatwillcausepeopletobackoff.Iftherearepeopleatthegate/entrancethen theyshouldbeallowedtoseethepersontoavoidlettingthembackinlateron.Takingphotosoftheindividualisgoodforlater identification.

3.7Grassesafterarrest
Thisisparticularlyunpleasantbutsometimesactivistsdocrackorturnduetopolicepressure/persuasion.Itisnotalwaysused directlyagainstyoubuttherearesignsyoucanwatchoutfor.However,dontlistentopolicetellingyouthatyourmateshave turnedonyou,asthatisastandardtactictheyusetobreakyourresistanceandisgenerallyalie. IntheUKwhenpeoplestart'grassing'or'singing'inapostarrestsituationtheyareseparatedfromtheotherdefendants,and publicimmunitycertificatesareissuedtopreventthefactthattheyaretalkingbeingmadepublic.Oftentheirevidencewillnot beuseddirectly,soitmaynotcomeimmediatelyapparent.Yoursolicitorshouldbeabletoletyouknowifthishashappened, albeitonlyindirectly.Publicimmunitycertificatesmayalsobegrantedinfavourofwitnessesyoumaywishtocalltosupport yourcase.Asaruleofthumbyoushouldbeveryhesitanttotrustanyonewhohasapublicimmunitycertificateissuedforthem. Wherethegrassisuponchargesbythemselves,theymaygetridiculouslylowsentencesandthepolicesuddenlyknowwhereto targetpeopleeffectivelyorstartquoteveryspecificevidenceininterviews. Otherevidencethatsomeonehasturnedisthequalityoftreatmenttheygetwhenarrested.Forexample,oneturncoatreceived aTVinherpolicecellwhenshewaspickedupwhilehuntsabbing. Itshouldbemadeveryclearthatanyonewhogivesastatementagainstotheractivistswillbemadeveryunwelcomebytherest ofthemovement.Theyshouldbenamedandshamedalongwithhavingtheirphotospublishedinrelevantforums.However,if theyarepartofalargertrial,thisshouldnotbedoneuntilaftertheendofthetrialtoprotectotherdefendants(itistheircallas theyaretheoneswhowillsuffertheworst). 18

 Otherinfiltrationmethods If someone approaches you as media, try to check their credentials ask for their cards, and phone the switchboard of the newspaper/TV/radiostationtheyclaimtoworkfortochecktheyaregenuine.Mobilenumbersarenotgoodenough.Inmore sophisticated setups the phone number will also be genuine so check their presence online or in the phonebook to gain confirmtheiridentityandthatthenumbersareindeedgoingtogenuineoffices. Ifitissomeonewantingtomakeafilmaboutyourcauseorcampaign,checkouttheproductioncompanytheyworkforandask toseepreviousworkbythem.Film&TVproductioncompaniesareagoodfronttoapproachactivistswithandattempttoget close to them, especially with their requests for visits to offices and to meet other activists deny these whenever possible. Neverbelievetheputyoursideofthestoryline.Carefullymanagewhattheyareallowedaccesstoandwhentheycanrecord. Otheragenciescanbefrontorganisationssetuptogetyourtrust,sojustbecauseyouaredealingwithsomeonefromanother organisationwithsupposedlythesameaimsasyourself,unlesstheyhaveaproventrackrecordthentreatthemcarefullywhen passingondetailsaboutyourself,etc.Eveniftheyareaprovengroup,theymayhaveanunspottedinfiltratororslacksecurity, sopassonpersonalorsensitivematerialwithcare. Sometimesthemediaapproachmaybegenuine,butmediaarealwayslookingfortheexclusivefootageand'insidescoop'so haveacompletelydifferentagendatotheactivist/campaigner.Theywillnothesitatetosetupactivists,soyoushouldalwaysbe onyourguardaroundthem,andbeverycarefulabouthowmuchinformationyouprovidethemtheycanendupdoingthe state'sworkindirectlyforthem. Giventheprevalenceofvideocamera'sthesedaysthereislittlereasonformediatocomeoncovertactionsatall.

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4.SecurityforActions
Actions come in many different forms, each one with its own security needs. Many ideas mentioned under campaigns and personalsecuritymayalsoapplyheresowewillnotduplicatethemhere. Inthischapterwemeanbyactionsawidevarietyofeventsanddeeds.Notalltipswillbeapplicabletoeverysituation,butwe hopethatwhatisandwhatisnotisobvious.

4.1Choosingpeople
Dependingonthenatureofyouractionyoumayneedtobecarefulaboutwhoyouinformregardingit. 4.1.1Approachingpeople Approachingpotentialparticipantsinanactionneedstobedonecorrectly.Askpeoplewhattheyfeelaboutthetypeofaction youareplanningingeneral,onanabstractleveltocheckthattheywouldbeinterestedinwhatyouhavetosay.Asaffinity groupsarebuiltontrust(andoftenfriendship)youwillknowforthemostparthowindividualsfileorwhethertheyareupfor itingeneral. Ifyouaskthemaboutdoinganactionandtheyinitiallysaynoaskaboutitlater,unlesstheyareexpressinganinterestinbeing involved,thentellthemithasbeencalledoff.Oncecommittedwarnpeopleagainstbackingoutlaterortalkingaboutit.The degreeofsecrecyneedstobemadeclearrightfromthestartsopeoplearecluedinotherwisethereareinadvertentbreachesof securitymadeearlyon.AssomeoneputtingtogetheranactionyoushouldNEVERassumeeveryoneautomaticallyhasaclear ideaofthelevelofsecurityneededitisuptoyoutoremindthem. 4.1.2Graduallyintroducepeople Itisbestnottothrowpeopleinatthedeepend,unlessyouareveryconfidentinyouractionandinthem.Betteritistowork themuptheladder,watchinghowtheyreactindifferentsituations,howwelltheykeeptheircool,etc.Sometimespeoplemake outtobemoreconfidentandskilledthantheyactuallyare.Theproblemswillnotbecomeapparentuntiltheyareactuallyin action,bywhichpointitmaybetoolate. Ifyouarenotinvitedtoactionsandfeelbitteraboutit,putyourselfintheirplaceandunderstandthattheirsecurityneedsmay be playing a part. Those involved need to be wary about not letting it slip so inviting inopportune questions this includes behaviouraswellaswhatissaid.Donotarrangeorhintatmeetingsinfrontofthosenotinvolvedasitisquitedishearteningto futureactivists. 4.1.3Watchoutforbravado Peoplewilltalkthemselvesup,andmakeouttobemoreexperiencedthantheyreallyare.Recognisethisinpeopleandbeready foritincasetheyendupbottlingitandleavetherestofyouinthelurch.Oftentheywillnoteventurnupforverylowriskstuff orgetveryuptightandshowerraticbehaviourwhentheydoattend.Itmaybebettertobebluntwiththembysayingthatyou haventworkedwiththemenoughyet,andthatyoupersonallydontfeelcomfortableinthatsituation,especiallyonewhere thereisalotofrisk.Iftheyaregenuinelycommittedtomovementhappeningtheywillacceptthis. Ifyoususpectthatsomeoneismoreboastingthenaction,thencheckoutifthey'veactuallydonethestuffthey'veclaimed(eg, flyposting,graffiti,etc.) 4.1.4Watchoutfortheboasters Likewithbravado,thesepeoplecanbearisk.Itishardforthemtonottellpeopleaboutwhattheyareuptobeforeandafteran action,evenaftertheyhavebeenwarnedtosecrecysomebecomesmugandextrasecretive,whichcanbelittlebetterthan giving away that they have something to hide. So when introducing people into your affinity group note their ability to keep secretsastheybecomeinvolvedmoredeeply.Attheendofthedayourmainreasonforbeingactiveistoachievesocialchange orsavelives,nottomakepeoplefeelbetter. 4.1.5Highprofilepeople Some people are naturally under a lot of attention, whether by police or otherwise. This maybe due to their apparent organisationalroleorsimplytheirhistoryofbeingarrested(especiallyforseriousoffences).Eventhoughtheymaybeexcellent activists,theymayendupcompromisingyouractionbybringingunnecessaryattentiontoyou.Iftheydontneedtobeinvolved, keepthemoutofit. 4.1.6Peoplewithissues Althoughweliketobeinclusiveandbringmanypeopleintoourmovements,itdoesnotmeaneveryoneissuitableforevery actionyouplan.Ifyouaregoingtotakerisksthenyouhavetobedoingitwithpeopleyoucanrelyonifthingsdogowrong,or canbecountedontodotheirparttomakesurethatthingsdonotgowronginthefirstplace.Weareactivenottorunselfhelp 20

groups,buttomakechanges.Thatmaysoundharsh,butsoisloosingyourfreedombecauseofsomeoneelse'spersonalissues whichtheywereunabletoputtooneside. Drug users and heavy drinkers are a liability, as are people with moneydraining habits such as gambling. As well as being unreliable, they are much easier to turn or trick into talking. Recently, much of the Green Scare in the US, where large numbersofELFactivistswerearresteduptoadecadeaftertheywereinvolved,wasbyusingoneactivist'sheroinaddictionto breakhimandusehimtoleapfrogintotherestofthegroupsandtoentrappeoplebytalkingaboutwhattheyhaddoneyears previously. Addictionscanalsocausepeopletofailtocarryoutimportanttasksproperlyandlietocoveruptheirmistakes,soputtingthe actionorrestofthegroupinjeopardy,thisrunsthegamutfromnotturningupontimetogotoahuntsabordemotoacquiring equipment and being in place at the right time on a covert action. Another problem is when people get argumentative at unsuitabletimessuchasonthewaytoanaction,jeopardisingthemoraleandenergyofthegroup,andwhethertheactionitself goesahead.Thiscanapplytopeoplewithaddictionsormentalhealthissues. Wewouldalsorecommendagainstbringingalongpeoplewithmentalhealthissueswherethestressoftakingrisksmayprove toomuch,orthatlateron,aftertheaction,theymaynotfullyunderstandtheneedformaintainingsecurityinrespecttoit. If you are a heavy drinker, drug user, etc consider how you may be jeopardizing others so consider moderating your consumptionsoyouarenotlosingcontrol,orelsestopdoingactionswhereyouwouldhaveknowledgethatcouldputothersat risk. Alessobviousriskarepeoplewhohavepersonalreasonsforjoiningagroupandarenotnecessarilymotivatedentirelybythe aimsofthemovement.Theymayconsideractivistsascoolpeopletohangaroundorasintroducinganelementofexcitementas theyswingclosetothedanger.Othersaresimplyneedypeoplewhoarepreyingontheinherentkindnessestobefoundinthe peopleactiveinsocialmovements.Itmaybethat,dependingontheneedsofyourgroupandactions,thatsuchnicetyneedsto be put aside. People with the wrong motivations are less likely to understand the need for security and often talk without thinking,eventopolice,astheyliketheattention.Itisnotmalicious,butjusthowtheyare. 4.1.7Securityandyouraffinitygroup Thefinalpointwhenbringingyourteamoraffinitygrouptogetheristoensurethateveryoneisworkingtothesamestandards. Differing standards may mean that some people are not doing enough to keep the group secure and others are being too paranoidtothepointitisdisruptiveordisempowering.Discussitthroughandmakesurethateveryoneknowswhatsecurity measurestheyhavetotakeandwhy.Asincampaignsecurity,itisbesttoreachaconsensuswherebyeveryoneiscluedinto theneedsofthesituationandactsappropriately.Suchdiscussionsarealsoagoodwaytospotpeoplewhoareonlygivinglip synctotherequestsorbeingtooblasaboutsecurity. Security measures reached by consensus and understanding are much more likely to be adhered to than ones imposed on people.Also,itmakesiteasierforpeopletobepulledupiftheirsecurityisgettingslack.Aclassiccaseofthisismobilephonesat gatherings.Ifthegroupdecisionisthatmobilesphoneshavebatteriesremovedandnottakentomeetings,andthatdecisionis clearlybroadcast,thenitismucheasiertocallpeopleupforlapseswheretheyareturnedonorbroughttomeetings. Have a security runthough before the action. Make it clear that these are not a case of someone being on a power trip or distrustingpeoplebutgoodsecuritypractisementionitatthestartofplanningsopeopleknowtoexpectit.Evenexperienced peoplemakemistakeanditshouldntbeacasethatindividualsaremadetofeelembarrassedbyslipups.Asecurityrunthrough istheretorefreshandremindpeople,egoaside. Createasituationwherebypeoplecanfeelabletoadmittomistakes.Itisbettertohaveitout,thanhiddenwhereitmaycome backtohauntyou.Likewise,ifyouhavemadeamistake,itisimportantthatyouownuptoit,evenifitjeopardiseseverything, soyourgroupdoesn'tgothroughwithanactionwhichmayhavebeencompromised.Youhavearesponsibilitytothegroupyou areworkingwith.Also,ifitbecomesclearthatyouweretheoneresponsibleforthesecuritybreachanddidntletpeopleknow thenpeoplewillnottrustyouenoughtoinvolveyouinfutureactions. Whensettingupanactionpeopledonotnecessarilyhavetobepractisingsecurityatyourlevel,butitmaybeanopportunityto teachthemaboutitthroughexample,explainingwhyyouaretakingcertainmeasures. 4.2Scoutingoutthearea Whencheckinganareaoutdonotlookoutofplace.Dressappropriately,smartifnecessaryoraBarbourjacketandbootsinthe country,anddependingontheareahaveacoverstoryready.Basicallythemorenaturalyouactthebetteranddontberude topeopleyouencounter. Plananysurveillancecarefully,andpayattentiontothetimesyouwillbegoinginandoutofthearea.Ifdoingwalk/drivebysdo notdoitsomuchthatyourfacebecomesrecognisable,soifthepoliceshowsomeoneaphotoofyoutheywouldbeableto 21

identifyyou.Dontforgettousecountersurveillancetechniquestoensureyouarenotbeingwatchedyourselfsocompromising theactionanditsparticipants. Beforeyouleavedecideasmanyofthefactorsyouneedtoknowaboutsoyougatherasmuchinformationpossibleinonego. Thissavesrepeattripsbacktothesitestofillingaps.Itisalwaysworthdoingabrainstormonthiswithotherkeymembersof thegroupwhowillbeinvolved. Forrelativelylowkeyactionswherethereislittlechanceofyoubeingarrested,thereisnoreasonwhyyoucannotthinkupa blagstorytogetentrancetothesite,orevenjustpretendtobelost.Itdoesntcompromiseyoursecuritythatmuch,ifatall. Forcovertactions,checkoutwhatelseisintheareaandlettherestofthegrouptakingpartknowaswell.Forexample,you dont want to run in the direction of a farm where dogs who will raise the alarm. Similarly if there are likely to be any curtaintwitchers or other nosy neighbours that could be a problem. Know your access points in and out and make sure yourdriversarefamiliarwiththem.Identifyandscoutbackuprendezvouspointsshouldyoubeforcedtoscatter. Someusefultechniquesareto: a. Goinmalefemalepairssoyoucanactasacourtingcoupleifnecessary. b. Bringadogleadandpretendyourdoghasrunoffandyouarelookingforthem. c. Choseanappropriatelookingvehicletoblendinbetter. d. Ifstakingout,avoidsmoking,anddontdrinklotsofwater/coffeeoryouwillenduphavingtomakeregular tripstothetoilet. 4.3Planning Planningisgood.Itgetsyouintherightstateofmind.Decisionmakingismuchquickerandwhentheunexpectedhappens,you arebetterabletohandleit.Noplanisperfect,andyoushouldbepreparedforthingstogowrong.Hencehavebackupplansfor whenthingsdogopearshaped,suchasalternativemeetingpoints,andwhenjusttocutyourlossesandleave. Rehearseyourplanwitheveryonetogether(orwhoneedstobetogether)beforehand.Itisagoodideaforpeopletoknowwhat toexpectofothersandhelpsbuildupthestrengthoftheaffinitygroup.Ifpartofyouractionisgoingtorequirepeopletoleap fences,makesuretheyaregoingtobeabletodothatlittlethingslikethisareoftenassumedasotherpeoplemakethemlook easy,buttherealityissometimesotherwise. Makepeoplefullyawareoftherisksandthattheyarepreparedfortheconsequences.Recriminationsafterwardsaredestructive aswellasbeingtoolate.Bereadytoanswerpointedquestionsaspeoplewillbeconcernedabouttherisks.Itdoesntmeanthat theyareinfiltrators,butkeepthingsonaneedtoknowbasis,asmuchasisreasonable. If there are several parts to an action, not everyone needs to know who is doing what. This means if one of the groups is compromiseditdoesntnecessarilyaffecttheotherssetsofpeople.Thisneedtoknowbasisforactionshasbeenoneofthe mostsuccessfulfeaturesadoptedinactionsandproventokeeppeoplesafe. In the run up to an action and afterwards dont start acting strangely, extra paranoid or suddenly changing your habits. The chancesarethatthesewillbringmoreattentiontoyou.Actasnaturallyaspossible,asiftherewasnothingabouttohappen,or has happened. Discretion is much better than being paranoid. Have cover stories and alibis ready for your actions and whereabouts. Tip1:Oftenactionsmayinvolveknownactivistsfromelsewhere.Dontsuddenlyhaveaninfluxofvisitorscomingtoyourhouse whichmayindicatethatthereissomethinggoingonworthinvestigating. Tip2:Ifpeoplearetravellingtotheareabypublictransporttobepickedup,dontpicktheneareststoporstationtoyourhouse ortotheplaceoftheaction;wherepossibledotheonebeforeatleast,sothereisabitofdistancebetweenthem. Tip3:Dontcreatechangesinyourphonecallpatternsintherunuptoorimmediatelyafteranactiontoparticularindividuals. Thatis,donotringsomeonemoreoftenorlessoftenthanusual.Thefewerconnectionsthatcanbedirectlydrawnbetween individualpartiesthebetter. 4.4Communications Mostofwhatwassaidinthesectiononcampaignsregardingmeetingtodiscussandplanequallyapplieshere.Thenatureofthe actiondependsonhowopenyoucanbeaboutit.Ifyoudoitoverthephone/unencryptedemail/textmessagesthechancesare thepoliceoryourtargetwillbecomeawareofit.Thismaynotactuallymatter,andifitdoesntthendontworryaboutit.The onlythingofconcerninthissituationisthattheymaybeabletosingleoutoneortwopeopleasdoingalltheorganisingand focustheireffortsonthem,soitisnotappropriateifyouareplanningtokeepalowprofile. 22

Basically,donotsayanythingonthephoneorbyemailthatyouwouldnotbepreparedtostandupincourtandsaytoajudge, orthatwilltiptheauthoritiestothefactthatyouareplanningsomething.Codewordsshouldntbeobvious,andavoidusing obscure,halfbrokensentences.Phrasessuchas"areyoucomingtothatfuneral/party"aretoocommonlyusedtobeeffective anymore.Thebestapproachistoarrangetomeetpeopleandpassthemessageoneitherverbally,orbywritingitonapieceof paper.Tip:alwayscarryalightersoyoucanburnthepaperimmediatelyyouarefinishedwithit.Itiseasytoforgettoburnit latersoyouendupcarryingitaroundinyourpocket. Settingupameetingisideallydonefacetoface.Itisbadpracticetosimplyturnupandhaveameetingthereandthen.Theless thatcanbesaidattheinitialinvitationthebetter.Ifsomeoneisdoingtheorganising,theyshouldmeetwithpeopleindividually andtesttheircommitmenttotheactionbeforelettingtheminonwhoelseisinvolved.Avoidorganisingameetingaroundyour socialgrouporatasocialeventasitwillrapidlybecomeobvioustoothersnotinvolvedthatsomethingisup.Thisisnotalways possibletoavoidbutyouneedtobeawareofthisproblem. If visiting someone,you can have a completely irrelevant conversation with them while passing them a note about whatyou actuallywanttotalkabout. Neverhaveatmeetingspeoplewhoarenotgoingtobeinvolved,nomatterhowgoodanactivistorfriendtheyare,orevenif theyareotherwisepartofyourgroup.Forstarters,itmakesthemanaccessory.Aclassicinfiltrationbythestateofthefarright wasamanwhousedtositinthepubwiththeganguntilhegotsofamiliartothemtheydiscussedtheirplansinfrontofhim. Tip:sometimesdiscussioncomesupduringtheaction;bereadytodealwithit,especiallyasimportantpointsmayneedtobe clarified.Tohelpwiththis,haveanetchasketchboardfromachildrenstoystoreinthecar;itlooksinnocuoussohelpsdetract fromanyimpressionsyoumaybeuptonogood,anditisalsoagoodwayofpassingmessagestoeachotherthatcanbeeasily erasedinonequickgo. 4.5AcquiringEquipment Buymaterialsandhirevehicleswelloutofyourarea.Bepreparedtohavetoputtimeandmoneyintothis.Avoidusingyourown vehicleifthereisthatoption.Ifyouhavehiredavehicle,donotparkitnearyourhouse.Wherepossibleavoidusingcreditcards, thoughitisoftenhardtohirevehicleswithoutone. Phonesshouldalsobepurchasedoutofyourarea.Getpayasyougomodelsandwhenusingtopupcardspayincash.When purchasingthem,youaregenerallyaskedfordetailstogiveforinsuranceorwarrantypurposeshavefalseonesreadyto givetothem.IfpossiblebuyfromsecondhandshopswithoutCCTV. Burnpackaging,receiptsandothersuchmaterialsthatmaylinkyoutotheequipmentandwhicharenotnecessarytokeep.If there are serial numbers, etc, consider filing them off or otherwise removing, as if the equipment is discovered this can be potentiallytracedbacktotheshopwherethepieceofequipmentwaspurchasedandhencemaybetoCCTVimplicatingyouin theirpurchase. Wearabaseballcapandnondistinctiveclotheswhenmakingpurchases;considerbuyingasetofclothesfromacharityshop and once all your purchases are made dispose of them. It is best to dress down and blend in wearing radical TShirts is definitelynotagoodidea.Thelongerthegapbetweenpurchaseandtheactionthebetterasthelesslikelyshopkeepersare going to remember your face or have kept the CCTV footage when the police come snooping. Also with this, if you are unfortunatetobeundersurveillance,theywillbemorereadyforyoutodoanactioninthenextfewdaysafteryouvemade yourpurchases;whichmaygoawayafterawhileiftheyseenoactivitytoaccompanyit. Whenbringingmaterialbackforstorage,especiallyifitisinsomeone'shouse,wrappeditupsoitcannotbeidentified.Consider puttingnewspapersandbinbagsinthebootofthecarsoyouhavematerialstohandiftheshopsdonotwrapitupforyou.Do nothavestuffpostedtoyouwhereitwillattractattentionofthepostoffice. Stuff for the action should be handled with gloves and cleaned of fingerprints using white spirits or washing up liquid. This should be done when they are acquired, and all identifying labels removed and destroyed. Give them another clean before leavingfortheaction.Keepglovesavailablesotheyaretherewhenyoudoneedtohandlecleanedmaterialisalltooeasyto slipuponthisone,andyoucanjustaseasilydropDNAasfingerprints. 4.6Clothing&othertraceable During the action itself, you will leave a number of trails behind which forensics can be used to investigate. For a good introductionintoDNAforensicscheckouttheGeneWatchreportat http://www.genewatch.org/HumanGen/Publications/Reports/NationalDNADatabase.pdf 4.6.1Footwear Shoesandotherfootwearallleavedistinctivemarks;cutsandwearinginthetreadscanbeusedtoidentifyyourshoesasthe onesleavingatrail.Thisisanissueifyouaregoingtobeinanareawithmudoryouhavetocrossit.Buydisposablepairsorput 23

socks(whichwillpulluphigh)overthetopofthem,withaplasticbagbetweentheoutersockandthefootwear,sowhenyou cometotakethemuddysocksoff,youcandoitinacleansweepandbagupthemudanddirtyoutersocksinonegowithout gettingitonyourhandsorclothseither. Tip:Ifinthefieldalwaysplanincaseofgettingmudontherestofyourclothes,especiallyyourtrousers.Ifyouhavetolegitas partofagetawayitmaysingleyououtinatownenvironment. Ifstoppedonthewayout,anoldtrickwasforeveryonetotakeofftheirshoesandsocks(shoescanlinkedtosocksthrough fibres)soindividualpairscouldntbeidentifiedwithanyoneinparticular.Modernforensicscouldprobablyworkthisout,butit isexpensiveandwhethertheyputthatamountofeffortinwillcomedowntohowbadlytheywantyou. Iftheyaremuddy,washitoffifpossible,andhavenewspapersdowninthevehicletocatchit. Note [a]IntheUKimpressionsoffootwearcannowbetakenattheroadsidebythepoliceduringcarsearches. [b]Glassshardsisanothertelltalesignonshoesandusedtoplaceyouatascene. 4.6.2Clothes Dependsconsiderablyontheaction.Nondescriptisbest,andtheclosereveryonedressestheharderitisforindividualstobe singledout.Butconsiderthecontextandyouraimsaloadofpeoplewearingheavyblackoutfitstryingtosneakthroughtown isgoingtostandout.Itismoreimportanttodressforwhatyouwanttoachievethantofitinwithyourgroup;forexample, camouflagegearisnotalwaysthebest. I. Black is not always the bestcolour, for instancegettingcaught in a field of snow. Consider grey or khaki. In our experiencecharcoalgreyworksbestingeneralfornotstandingoutinafield,etc. II. Avoidclothesmadeofnylon(verynoisywhenyoumove)butgoforclotheswhicharelightweightandcomfortable asageneralruleoftentheadrenalinrushwillkeepyouwarm,butconsideriftherewillbemuchwaitingaround todo. III. Zipsarealsonoisyandbuttonsarepreferable. IV. Makesureyouhavenothingreflectiveonyou(unlessithelpsyoublendin). V. Ifdoinganactionintownorwhereyoumaybechased,haveadifferentcolouredlayerunderneathtogiveyoua quickchangeofappearanceexamplesarebrightTshirtsorareversiblecoat.Oradifferentbaseballhat. VI. Clothescanbeusedtodisguiseyourshapeaswell,sogoforbaggyclotheswhichcreateanasexualfigure. VII. Keepyourhairandfacialfeatureshidden.Hoods&baseballcapsaregood,asaremasksandbalaclavas.However this depends on the situation, as sometimes wearing masks and balaclavas are just too much of a giveaway. Snoodsaregoodastheycanbequiteobscuring,andtheyarealegitimateclothingitem.Skimasksarenotasgood astheycangiveawaytoomuchfacialfeaturesaroundtheeyes. 4.6.3Hair Washyourhairandgiveitagoodbrushbeforeleavingontheaction,sonostrayhairsfallout.Keepittiedbackandoutofthe way. The alternative of providing the forensics team with no information at all is to provide them with too much information by deliberatecontamination.Atechniqueusedbysomeistogatherhairfromthefloorofahairdressersposeasanartistand put that in your balaclava, etc which may have to be discarded. The result with be a nightmare for forensic, if down right impossibletoproveanythingwith.ThesamegoesforglovesasDNAcannowbeextractedfromtheinsideofhatsandgloves. 4.6.4Fingerprints Weargloveswhereeverpossible.Beawarethatlatexonescanstillleaveanimpression.Practiseusinganytoolswiththemso youarecomfortablewiththesensationandthechangeingrips. Ifglovessliporareimpractical,remembertowipedowneverysurfaceyoutouch,includingpalmprintsforensicslookatthe entirehandasopposedtojustthetipsofthefingers.Havescrapsofmaterialsoakedinwhitespiritreadyinabag(sealedtostop itevaporating). 4.6.5Maps 24

Essentialbutwithpitfalls.Amapfoundonyouornearbytheeventwithmarkingsonitandyourfingerprintsiscanamountto prettyconvincingevidence.Markingscanbeassimpleasalotoffingerprintsovertherelevantspots. Techniquestousewithmapsare e. Donotusemarkingsthatcannotbeeasilyerasedthisgoesforpencilswhichleaveindentationsevenafter beingerased. f. Uselaminatedmapswheretelltalemarkscanbewipedquicklyandmoresecurelyanddonthaveasbigan issuewithfingerprintsaspaper. g. Ifindoubt,buynewoneswitheasywipecoversandusegloves. Dontprintoffamapofthesiteyouarevisitingfromyourhomecomputer,insteaduseanInternetcaftodothis. 4.6.6Othermaterials Itisgoodpolicytoremoveanyunnecessaryitemsfromyourclothesbeforeyouleavetogoontheaction.Anythingthatcanfall outofyourpocketcouldendupbeingtracedtoyouthroughforensics.DontbringID,thingsthatrattle,etc;takeonlythekeys youneedandnotthefullkeyring.Thoughbringsomechangeforphonecalls. Tip1:Keeppersonalitemsyouneedinazipuppocket,andalwaysseparatefromanythingyouneedfortheaction. Tip2:Usetorcheswitharedgeloverthemforoutsideworkthelightdoesnotcarrynearasfar. 4.6.7TheVehicle Youwanttokeepthisascleanaspossible,especiallyifitisahirecar.Techniquestouseare Useplasticcoversontheseats. Putdownnewspapers Havecleaningmaterialsreadyinadvance,especiallyfortransitvans.Thisincludesblackbinbagsfordisposing ofthenewspapers,etc. Havematerialstowashmudofthesideofthevehicle(clayscanbeusedtopinpointwhereyouvebeen). Therearereasonsforthis.Eveniftheytracethevehicle,youdontwanttoleavemarkingsinitthatmaybeusedagainstyou,or ruinalibisforhavingit.Nordoyouwanttoleavememoriesofmud,etc.inthemindoftherentalcompany. Everyoneshouldtakechargeofensuringthevehicleiscleaned,anditshouldnotbeleftdowntothepersonwhohiredit. 4.7DisposingofEquipment/Clothes Thisissomethingyoushouldbudgettimeandpreparationfor.Itisoftenforgottenabout,butiscrucialastogettingawaywith youraction. Anything that may compromise you should be burned or otherwise securely disposed of. Dumping them in a river/bin a few milesdowntheroadmaynotbeenough.Themoreseveretheaction,themoretheyaregoingtoputeffortintosearchingfor stuff.Thatsomethingwasexpensiveshouldnotbeanoverridingexcusetokeepitifthereareotherriskconcerns. Dontkeepstufftorecycle/reuseifitisdistinctiveoryoucannotjustifytheirpresenceinyourhouse.Somestuffisnotillegalin itselfsotheystillneedtoprovethatyouuseditfortheactionandhadnootherreasonforhavingit.Forexample,keepingtools inthetoolshed.Ifindoubttakethemorecautiousapproach. Souvenirsofanactionareaverybadidea.Peoplecangetquitesillyoverthis,sothisneedstobespeltoutinadvance. Cleanvehiclesthoroughly;washthemdownandusedisinfectantifnecessary,sothateveniftheydotracethevehicletherewill beaslittleaspossibleevidenceinit.Budgetenoughtimeforthisasitcanbeabiggertaskthanrealised. Ifyouarekeepingequipmentwashitdownthoroughlyusingsoapywaterorwhitespirits. Boltcroppersandsuchlikecanacquiretelltalescratchmarksonthebladesthatlinkthemtotheaction.Theymayasaresult needtobefileddown.Ifyouareplanningtodothis,buythematerialinadvanceandnotaftertheaction. Ifyouareleavingwithequipmentpeopleinthevehiclecanhelpbyfilingdowntelltalemarks,wipingstuffcleanandgeneral helpingwiththedisposalprocess.Includethecleanupmaterialinthelistofmaterialtobringontheactionortohaveatyour baseeg.clothssoakedinwhitespirit,filingtools,workinglighters,binbags&cleaningagents. Whereclothesandequipmentarebeingphysicallydestroyed,thendontdoiteithernearthesiteoftheactionoryourhomes. Thefartherawayfrombothofthemthebetter,dependingonthenatureoftheaction. 25

 Peoplehavebeencaughtbecausetheysimplytossedspraycans,bottles,etcintonearbybinsandgardens,whereasiftheyhad taken the time to put some distance between them they could have been disposed of innocuously enough, even with fingerprintsonthem. 4.8Communiqus&Photos Makesureyoucansendthesesecurely;ifitwillcompromiseyou,thendontsendthem.Considerwaitingawhilesotheheat dropsdown.Neverdoitfromyourhome,andavoidusingyourtownifyoucanthegreaterthedistancethebetter(relativeto theseriousnessofthecommuniqu),andavoidCCTVwereyoucan. Becarefulthatnothinginthetextgivesyouaway:ifindoubtleaveitout. Eyesshouldbeblockedoutinphotos,evenifmasks,etcareworn.Considerwhenusingpicturesofbackgroundsthatyoumight wanttoavoidfeaturesthatcanbeusedtolocatetheplace,oriftheycomelookingattheplacetheycanmatchitupwitha publishedphotousesheetsasabackdrop.Sheetswithslogansonthemcanbeevidenceifpeopleareunfortunatetohave unwelcomevisitorswhofindthemandmaketheassociationwiththephotos. 4.9MobilePhones Seetheseparatebriefingforaguidetousingmobilephonessecurely. Iftheyarerequiredforacovertaction,wesuggestthatyoupurchaseasetofphoneswithnoconnectiontoanyknownactivists. Onceaphoneisusedtoringanumberoutsideofthissmallnetwork,itiscompromised.Theyshouldnotbeuseduntilthedayof the action (other than to charge batteries) at which point they are taken somewhere private (certainly away from activists dwellings)andprepared.Insomesituationsitisadvantageoustoputthenumbersofeachonphonesoyoucanspeeddial. Oncetheneedforthephoneisovertakethebatteryout,andappropriatelydisposeof. 4.10PhoneBoxes Phoneboxesarestillaprettygoodwaysofmakinganonymouscalls,thoughtheydohavepitfallsyouneedtobecarefulof.To avoidthemwesuggestthefollowingguidelines: 1. The use of phone boxes should be varied as much as possible. If a phone box (or even several specific ones) becomes identified as one being regularly used by activists for communication then a camera may be put on it. People have been convictedasaresultofthis. 2.Useasfaraspossiblefromyourhouse/officecyclingtoothervillages/estatesisgood. 3.Avoidareaswerephonesarelikelytobealreadymonitored,suchastowncentreswherethereisalreadymuchCCTVorareas ofhighdrugdealing.Asimplebugscannerwilloftenpickupifthereisacameramonitoringitbypickinguponthecameras transmissionsbacktobase. 4.Wearbaseballcaps&nondistinctiveclothing.Keepyourheaddown.Ifyoucan,slipamaskupon(incaseofpinholecameras inthephonebox),putnotattheexpenseofmakingyoustandouttopassersby. 5.Useglovestohandlethereceiveranddependingonwhatyouaresaying,considerputtingacleanclothoverthemicrophone parttostopleavingtracesofspit,andtodisguisethevoice. 6.Phoneboxtophoneboxcallsarenotsecure;infacttheyareseenasatriggerforstatemonitoring. 7.Phonesinhotels,bars,etcarealsousefulsourcestomakephonecallsfrom. In the UK it is possible to type in 141 before dialling the number for your call. In theory will anonymize your call so that the personattheotherendcannotseethenumber.Thisisnolongeralwaysthecasewiththeintroductionofnewtechnologyto defeatnuisancecalls.However,formanynumbers,especiallyonesnotcommonlytargeteditwillstillwork. It should not been seen as a measure guaranteeing security but as adding an extra layer of security. For actions we do not recommendthisapproachasyoushouldnotbedoingstufffromyourhomephonelineatall,butifyourlevelofriskisverylow then you can consider this approach. Otherwise, this should not be crossing your mind. It may be more applicable if you are doingcampaignadministrationstuffratherthanactions,thoughinthiscaseyoushouldconsiderasystemwhereyourphone numberisautomaticallyblocked.

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4.11CCTV CCTViseverywherethesedays,butnotimpossibletohidefrom.LearntorecognisethevarioustypesofCCTVthereare,butalso beawarethattheycanbeinshopsvideoingwhatpassesbythewindows.Foranideaofwhatthelessobvioustypeslooklike check out http://www.brickhousesecurity.com/cctvsecuritycameras.html. Quality does vary considerably on cameras, and somearedecoys,sooftentheyaretheresimplytoactasadeterrentmorethananythingelse. Acamerawitharedlightgenerallymeansthatithasinfrared/nightvision.Increasingly,CCTVsincitiesarealsobeingfittedwith microphones,andconversationscanbetrackeddownstreets. CCTValsoallowsinvestigatorstopickuponbodylanguagesonodistinctiveslouchesorswaggerskeeptoanordinarystraight backedwalk. AgoodsitefordealingwithrecognisinganddealingwithCCTVishttp://www.rtmark.com/cctv/ Avoidlookingupwhiledoingyourshopping,wearbaseballcaps(withoutdistinctivemarkings)forgoodcover.Onactions,what mattersmoreiswhetherthereisasecurityguardpresent,asmostCCTVistimelapserecordingtobemonitoredlater,soifyou aremaskedupthenitisoflittleconsequence. Tip1:whenescapingdownastreet,donottakeoffcoveringclothsuntilyouaresureyouareoutofsightofCCTV,unlessitis goingtobetooobvious,suchasmakingyourescapeintoabusyareaoftown. Tip2:Putmasksonbeforegettingoutofvehicles;andleavethemonforthedurationoftheaction(avoidtakingthemoffto scratchitches). Tip3:Maskscanitchorsteamupglasses;sopractisewearingonebeforegoingonanactionsoyouknowifitisgoingtocause problems. 4.12Travelling When driving, pick country roads and motorways, avoiding towns as much as possible as that is where the greatest concentrationofcameraisfound.Keepwithinthespeedlimittoavoidbeingstoppedbypoliceforspeedingandsettingofspeed cameras.Ifyouareinahirevehiclerecommendedthenyouwillbesafer,aspolicevehiclesnowhavecamerasconnectedup tocomputerswhichcancaptureyournumberplateasyoupassandletthepoliceknowifthevehiclebelongstoknownactivists. Thebesttimestotravelatnightarearoundpubclosinghoursandafter4am.Thiswayyoufitinwiththeflowoftraffic.Some activistsavoidtravellingbetween11.30and4am,dependingonthenatureoftheactionsuggestinginsteadparkinginawood orsimilarandsleepinguntilitwastimetotravelagain.Bewareofsmokingifitisnotanappropriateplace. If the police are alerted immediately after the action there may not be time to get out of the area, especially if you have a distancetogo,soagainyoushouldconsiderifyoushouldbeontheroadsatallasyoumaybemorelikelytobestoppedinspot checks.Thisisahardcall,andthedifferencebetweenfleeingtheareaandhidingitoutwilldiffergreatlyfromactiontoaction. Ifyoudogetstoppedhaveablagstoryreadysayyouareonyourwaytoaparty,orsomethingbelievable.Beingdressedto lookliketroublewillonlyinvitefurthercuriosityfromanypolicewhospotyoupassing.Onetechniqueistohavetwopeoplein thefrontwholooksmart,ideallyamanandawoman,witheveryoneelselyingdowninthebackayoutravel. Ifyouarestopped,dontpanictheymaynothavetheevidenceyoucommittedacrimedependingonthesituation.Itisgood toplaninadvancewhattodoifthissituationdoesarise. Something worth noting is that some hire companies have tracking and GPS devices on their vehicles to record where it has been.Thismaynotbeanissueiftheyarenotgoingtotracebacktothehirecompanythoughandithasbeenhiredwellaway fromwheretheactivistsarebased. Tip:Donotbringyourmobilephonealongasitcanalsobeatrackingdevice. AnewdevelopmentisAutomaticNumberPlateRecognition[ANPR].Thistechnologyallowspolicetomonitorpassingvehicles with a camera and process the numberplates with a computer. If a numberplate is recognised as belonging to say a stolen vehicleoracarbelongingtoaknownactivist,thenthepolicemaystopthevehicle.Currentlythesecamerasare mountedin police vehicles. However, the Government is currently rolling out a scheme to convert traffic camera to have ANPR, with the data being recorded at a site in Hendon. Petrol stations and supermarkets are also being brought into this network. This will allow them to record every vehicle which will allow them to analyse journeys made over several years if necessary. More informationonthisisathttp://news.independent.co.uk/uk/transport/article334686.ece 27

Thiswillonlyworkonlegitimatenumberplates,andwillnothaveanyeffectonbikesandpossiblynotonvehiclesinnocuously registered, or not registered at all. It can also be partially avoided by travelling on country roads where there are less such cameras. 4.13Beingchased Itmayhappenthatyoupickupapolicetailwhileleavingacovertaction.Dependingontheaction,youmayeitherdecideto acceptthefact.However,iftheconsequencesareserious,itmaybeworthtryingtoloseit.Howeverdifficultitis,keepyourcool untilyouarecertainthatthepoliceareontoyoumoreoftenthannotithasbeenpossibletotalkyourwayoutofit. 4.13.1Onfoot Scatter in groups of between two and three, preferably matched by speed. Solidarity is all very nice, but there is no point everyonegettingcaught.Beenmatchedbyspeedmeansyouarenottoospreadoutmakingyoueasiertospottightgroupsare betterwhenmovingthroughthecountrysideatnight,astheystoppeoplebehindblunderingintosituationsandreducetheease ofbeingspotted.Keepyourattentiononmovingandnotdiscussingwhatwentright/wrong. Differentgroupsshouldmoveindifferentdirections;youdonotwanttobeleadingthepolicetoanothergroupofyou.When doingpreparationforanactionrunthroughroutestotherendezvouspoint(atleastonepersonshouldhaveactuallymadeitso knowsofanyissuesnotidentifiableonmapsorofotherdangers. Alwayshaveasecondaryrendezvousandtimeincasethisisnecessary.Inthiscasepeopleshouldhavemapsofthearea(no markings)and/orbefamiliarwithwheretheyareandwhattheyarelookingfor.Thereshouldalsobeatimelimitonhowany pickupvehiclewillwaittopickup;againthisisaboutnotjeopardisingotherswhohavealreadyarrivedbyhangingarounduntil youattractattention. Tip:ifyouarriveearlythenwaitinghiddenuntilthepickupvehiclearrives.Checkthattheyhavenotbeenfollowedbeforeyou showyourself. Hidingmayrequireyoutokeepyourcoolespeciallywhenthereissomeonestandingquiteliterallyoveryou.Gardens,woods andhedgerowsareallgoodforduckinginto.Thekeyistorelaxandkeepcontrolofyourimagination,forexampleaboutjust whatiscrawlingupyourleg.Itchesareanuisancebuteasilyconqueredwithabitofpractise:theyarealwaysattheworstjust beforetheydisappearandthedesperationtoscratchisatitshighest.Insomecasesactivelyfocusingonthemdoesthesame job.Alsorememberthatinthissituationyoursenseoftimebecomesgreatlydistorted,normallymuchlesstimehaspassedthan youthink. 4.13.2Inthecar Ifyouarecertainthatitisthepoliceandnototherswhoareontoyou,youhavenothingtoloosethechancesarethatthe driverwillcopitanyway,butpassengersstillhaveachance.Tryandlocatesomewhereyoucanjumpoutofthecarandlegit.If youaregettingchasedbyworkersorotherswhoarelikelytoinflictviolenceonyou,thenyouneedtoattempttoevadethem. Wewillnotgointomoredetailonthathere,butasearchonescapeandevasiondriving/techniquesoremergencyhighspeed drivingtechniquesontheInternetshouldprovidetechniquesforevadecarsattemptingwithwouldbeattackers. 4.13.3Abandoningthecar Ifthecarhastobeabandoned,sobeit.Thepeopletowhomitisregisteredtoorwhohavehireditwillstillhavetodealwiththe investigationsoiftheyarenotpresenttheyneedtoinformedthatthishashappened,butwatchoutforlatenightphonecalls that make them suspects consider having a system where a specific number of rings means trouble, but that they do not answerit.Remembertousapayphoneorcleanmobilephoneandnotoneoftheactionmobiles.TheremayalsobeDNAleftin the car that will implicate the driver and passengers, but this will take time to be followed up. This situation can lead to increasedmonitoringofsuspectsforawhileinthehopeoffindingmoredirectevidence.Bepreparedforthisbutavoidraising moresuspicions. Of course, it may be that the car is registered to an address or organisation so that the people in charge of it cannot be immediatelyidentified;oritmaybethecasethatthecarisstolenornewlypurchasedsothattheregisteredownerisnotfully awareofitbeingusedintheaction(suchasonerecentlyboughtandthedocumentshaveyettosentofforprocessedbythe LicensingAgency).Wherethisapproachfallsdownisifthecarisalreadyknowntoinvestigatorswhohaveyouundersurveillance soknowyouhaveaccesstoit.Thechancesarethatthedriverwillstillbecaught. Someactivistshaveeffectivelyfalsenumberplatestothrowinvestigatorsattemptingtotracethecar.Theoftentrytomatchthe replacement number plates from a similar make and colour of car to the ones used on actions, so automatic number plate recognitionmonitoringdoesnottriggeranyalerts(egwrongtypeofcarornonexistingnumberplate.Vehiclesalsohavechassis numbersandotherserialnumberswhichcanbeusedtotracetheidentityandhistoryofthecarshoulditbefoundabandoned, evenifithasbeenburnedoutthoughtheyareunlikelytogotothisamountoftroubleunlesstheyareprettydeterminedto gettheactivists,andeventhenitmaynotactuallyleadtoachainofevidence.Burningoutthecarwill,however,getridofDNA evidence. 28

 Disclaimer:wedonotcondoneanyoftheseapproaches,andprovidedasaninformationserviceonly.Modifyingacar'slicense platesisillegal.Weencouragepeopletoavoidbreakingthelaw.Justsoyouknow. 4.14Evidencegatheringtools Directionalmicrophonescanpickupconversationsevenifdonefromahelicopter,soavoiddiscussingthingsondemonstrations andwhendiscussingthingsofahighlysensitivenature,takegreatcareofwhereyoudoit,ifthissortofsurveillanceisarisk. It is the same with cameras. They do not need to be mounted directly outside of your house/work to be watching you, and sometimesthehousesofneighboursareused. 4.15Debriefing Ausefulthingtodoforavarietyofreasons,thoughsecurityshouldbeastightasforplanningmeetings. IX. Gothroughwhatwentrightandwrongsoyoulearnfrommistakesandimproveforfutureactions.Itisimportanttobe honestwithyourselvesinordertolearnfrommistake,thoughavoidattackingeachotherorputtingblameonpeople for what was bad luck as that destroys group morale. A good debrief will help people grow as activists and/or show wherepeoplearebetterdeployedinfutureactions. X. Withwhatwentwrong,considerwheretherearepeoplenowatriskandwhatcanbedone.Itshouldnotreasonableor usefultoexpecteveryonetotakethefallinsolidaritywithonepersonunlessthereexistsaprioragreementtodothis. However,itisimportanttoarrangesupportforthosepotentiallytakingafallsotheyarenotleftfeelingisolatedwhich couldleavethemvulnerabletobreakingordroppingoutofthemovement. XI. To remind people not to talk about the action, especially with others not involved. People will want to discuss the action,especiallyifithasbeenverysuccessfulitisapartofhumannature.Adebriefgivespeopleachancetodeal withthissomakingitlesslikelyforthemtotalktoothers.Ifsomeonefeelstheneedtotalkfurthertheyshouldnotdo itwithanyonenotinvolvedintheaction,butarrangeameetingwithanothermemberofthegroup. XII. Remainingresponsibilitiestodealwithshouldhavealreadybeenplannedfor,butunforeseencircumstancesmayhave croppeduprequiringfurtherdecision.However,somedegreeoffreedomfordifferentgroupmemberstodothejobs allocatedtothemshouldbeinplace.Withluckthispartoftheprocessshouldbeamatterofsimplycheckingoffjobs done. 4.16Shittinginyourbackyard Thisisaphrasecommonlyusedbyexperiencedactivists.Andalsobyparanoidpeopleasanexcusenottodosmallactionsnear them. Itisusefuladvicebutitneedssomeinterpretation.Basicallyitisnotaboutbringattentiontoyourselfonseverallevels.Onelevel is covering the environs around your house with loads of political stickers, graffiti, etc as that just marks out the area as somewheretowatchandmakesiteasyforthemtofindyou. Itdoesntmeanyoucannotdoactionsinandaroundyourtown;justdontmakeitobviousitiscentredaroundoneparticular streetorarea. Onanotherlevel,itreferstoactionswithsignificantconsequencesandwhichmayevenleadtoraids.Actionwiththesesortsof risks should not be carried out near where you live. Yes, it may be frustrating to live down the road from a particularly evil company,butifyouaregoingtodosomethingdrastictoit,thenyouwillbethefirstonetheywillfocuson.Smallscalestuffis notsomuchanissue,butthelargerscalestuffis. IfcompanyXhasafactoryinyourtownandsomeonespraypaintsthewallorgluesthelocks,thenthemostthatmayhappen(if theydontcatchtheperpetratorstraightawayorfindtheirequipment)ispersonalcallsbypolicetryingtofindpeoplewillingto talkortorattlepeoplescages.Infactitisagoodsigniftheydothis,asitshowsthatinrealitytheyhavelittletogoon.However, inseriouscases,wheresaysomeonefromamorehardlinegroupattemptstoburndownthefactory,thentheknownactivists intheimmediateareawillfindthemselvesundermuchmorescrutinyanddoorsmaybekickedthroughinsomecases.Thisis essentiallyakneejerkreactionbypolicedesperatetofindevidence.However,iftheperpetratorisnotfromtheareatheyhave muchlesschanceofgettingcaught. At some point you are going to make value judgements and go ahead with the risks. People have got away with surprising amountsofstuffrelativelyclosetothembytakingtherightprecautions;however,asaruleofthumb,interpretyourbackyard as Themoreserioustheconsequencesofanactionthefurtheraway fromyourhomeyoushouldbedoingit. 29

 4.17Conclusion Thereisalotofmaterialinthissection,andalotwillnotbeapplicableineverysituation.Workoutwhatyoursecurityneedsare andwhatappliestoyouandyouractions.Forexample,ifyouareorganisingastraightforwarddemo,youdonothavethatmuch tofearandalotisinconsequential;consideraboutmakinglifeasdifficultaspossibleforanyoneinvestigating,butnottothe pointwherethedemobecomesimpractical.Forexample,youdontneedtosetupclosedphonenetworksforademo,butyou canthrowaspannerintheworksbyusingunregisteredmobilephonesorpayphones. Remember,thatprotectingyourprivacyandnotleavingDNA/fingerprintsisnotillegal

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5.SecurityforDemonstrations
Ifyouareapersoninvolvedincovertactivityconsiderwhetherattendingpublicprotestsisnecessary,sinceyouwanttobe bringingaslittleattentiontoyourselfaspossible. Demonstrationsarefluidthingsanditisimpossibletoguaranteetheywillgooffasplanned.Youneedtoknowyourlaw,andif youaregoingdownwithanaffinitygroupthenyouneedtogooverthevariousconsequencesthatmayariseincaseoftrouble, suchasprisonersupport,andwhatbehaviourisexpectedofthegroupontheday.Thereisnopointcausingasplitinthegroup becauseonesectionfeltuninformedorunreadytodealwiththeactionsofanothersection.

5.1Generalrulesfordemonstrationsofalltypes:
Avoidcallingoutpeoplesnames;useprearrangednicknamesorgenericshouts. Donotmakeitappearifonepersonismoresignificantthanothers;groupdiscussionsshouldbedoneasagroup,not onepersongoingaroundaskingindividuals. j. Never discuss plans at a protest or hold meetings around them. Demonstrations sound noisy, but directional microphonescaneasilypickupconversationsincludingfromhelicopters. k. UnderUKlawmaskscanbeconfiscatedunderSection60AA,thoughthatdoesnotmakethemillegalassuch;however, thepolicearejustaslikelytosaythatyouareattemptingtobeintimidatingandharassingbywearingone.Baseball hatsandcoatswithhighcollarscanalsohidetheface,ascanholdingupbannersinfrontofyou. l. You never know who is around you at a demo, listening in or just watching you to make a wrong move. It is well documentedthatpolicewillsendalargegroupofpeopleintoacrowdwheretheywillinciteand/ormonitorsoatthe endofthedayyoumayfindyourselfsuddenlyarrestedbysomeonewhohadspentthedaynexttoyouandlookedlike afellowprotestor. m. AvoidcarryingIDincaseyouarestoppedandsearchedpolicewilldothisasmuchtocollectintelligenceonwhois goingonprotests;thoughifyougetarrestedandcannotconfirmyouridentitythentheymayusethistokeepyouinthe policestationforlonger. n. Keepaneyeonexitsfromtheprotest,soyoucanleavefastifneedbe. h. i.

5.2Evidencegatherers(EGs)/ForwardIntelligenceTeams(FIT)
Demonstrationsattractpoliceintelligenceteamslikeflies.Whattheyareinterestedinisrecordingyourpresence,anyclothes thatcanbeusedtoidentifyyou,andmostimportantlywhoyouarewithortalkingtosotheycanbuilduptheirprofileonyou.If youdontwanttobeassociatedwithanotheractivistpubliclythendontbeseentalkingtothematpublicprotests. Another function of these particular police is to intimidate through constant photographing/videoing. Some times they are deliberatelyintrusiveintopeoplesfacesandactivitiesasawayofwindingpeopleupandsotheycandemonstratetheirown power.

5.2Cameras
Photograph/videopeopleactingsuspiciously,roughbehaviourbythepoliceandanyarreststheymake.Oncethisisdone,take thememorycardorfilmoutimmediatelyandpassittosomeoneelse.Putinreplacements.Ifthepoliceseepeoplephotograph theirillegalactionstheyhavebeenknowntotargetthephotographeranddestroytheevidence. Avoidtakingphotographsoffellowactivists,especiallystuffthatmaycompromisethem.Itisgreattohaveactionfootage,but not at the cost of someones freedom. Always respect requests to stop using camera, and never assume that you have an automaticrighttovideo.Ifindoubtaskfirst. IntheUKthepolicehavetherighttoseizecamerasiftheythingtheycontainevidence,apowertheyvebeenknowntoabuse.

5.3Travellingtodemonstrations
Ifacarisstoppedonthewaytoorfromaprotest,lookawaytohidefaces.Ifpassingapolicevehicle,duckdownsotheydonot realisethatitisacarfullofactivistsoftentheyareonthelookoutforvehiclespackedwithyoungpeopletostopandsearch. However, with an increased use of automatic numberplate recognition technology there is a tendency to focus on known activistsvehicles.Ifthevehicleyouareinregularlygoesonproteststhenitisfarmorelikelytobestopped. Likewise,considerifputtinguppostersonyourcarwindowswhetheritwillbedrawingunnecessaryattentiontoit,especiallyif theyareleftupwhilethecarisparkedup.Thisisnottosaydon'tdoit,butifyouareuptosomethingyoudonotwanttodraw attentiontoorareinavehiclewithanincreasedchanceofbeingstopped,thendonotmakeyourselftooobvious. Trytoavoidgoingtoandleavingademonstrationbyoneselfasyouleaveyourselfopentobeingharassedbythepolicewhosee itasanopportunitytointimidateyoufromgoingtofurtherprotestsorasawayofarrestingyououtofsightofwitnesses. 31

5.4Debriefing
Ifaprotestdoesnotgoasplannedandthereisaheavyhandedreactionfromtheauthorities,itisgoodforpeopletodebrief afterwards,evenifitisonlyintheaffinitygroupswhereitcanhelppeopleunderstandeachothersreactions.Thisisimportant psychologically,andforbeingabletoworktogethershouldsimilareventshappenagain.Violencecanhavehiddenpsychological effectsthatfindreleaseindrugsandalcoholconsumptionordepressionifnotdealtwithbydiscussion. Ifpeoplearesufferingfromdepressionorotherfalloutfromassaultorotherissuesfollowingonfromaprotestturnedviolent bythestate,thenitisimportanttheyarelookedoutforandhelped.Thisisasvaluableaprisonersupport,andpeopleshould not be looked down upon for feeling bad about a situation out of their control. The Activist Trauma group is a grassroots networkwhichexiststohelppeoplesufferingallformsoftraumaformoreinformationvisitwww.activisttrauma.net

5.5FirstAid
Thestateandotheropponentscanresorttoviolence,soitimportantthattherearepeoplearoundwithfirstaidtraining.There aregroupsofferingfreetrainingandonlineresourcessocheckthemout.Dependingonthenatureofyourgroupsactivities, considerpayingforsomeonereliabletobetrainedup,andensurethattheyarenotputinpositionswheretheyareunableto helpothers.Thisisparticularlyusefulifyouareengagedinconfrontationalactionsorhuntsabbing.Anotheruseoffirstaidis howtodealwithteargasorpepper/CSsprays. IntheUK,theActionMedicsgroup(www.actionmedics.org.uk)providefirstaidtrainingforactivists,andareoftenpresenton thelargermassactions. Selfdefencetrainingwillalsoteachyouhowtotakeand/ordeflectblowssotheydonotdoasmuchdamage.Oftenwhatyou needtoknowissimplyhowtohiteffectivelysoyoucangetagoodheadstartwhenrunningawayfromapotentiallyviolent situation. 5.6DealingwithProvocateurs Ifyouseesomeoneinflamingasituationbeyondwhereyouarewillingtogo,thengetoutofthere.Ifyouareconfidentthat someoneisaprovocateurthencallthemout,butbewarewhatconsequencesyouractionsmayhave,especiallyifthecrowds moodturnsugly. Do,however,alertpeoplearoundyouandgetpeopletophotographtheiractionsasthismayhelpgenuineactivistswhenthe cometocourt. Ifyoudontfeelconfidentaboutoutingtheprovocateur,considerfollowingthemdiscretely,andphotographthem,especiallyif theyarelaterseentalkingtopoliceorevengettingintoapolicevan.Thenletcampaignsknowasitmayhelpotherpeoples courtcases. Infiltrators have been known to attend demonstrations, both to stir up trouble, justifying police oppression, and also to gain reputationthatisusefulforwormingtheirwayintoothergroups.

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6.PersonalSecurity
Aswithallsecurity,tailoryourneedstoyouractions.Thereisnoneedtogotoextremelengthsifthatisnotcalledfor.Ifyou onlydoveryfluffyactionsandhangoutwithlikemindedpeople,youonlyneedbasicsecurity,donotneedtoimplementevery measurepossible.Ifyouaredoingcovertactions,thenyouneedtotakemuchmoreeffort. Aruleofthumbisthatthehighertherisk,thelowertheprofileyouwanttohave.Forexample,ifinvolvedincovertstuff,youdo notwanttobeattendingdemosorgettinginvolvedinpublicdisordersituationswherearrestsmayleadtoyourhousebeing raided,orsimplymoreattentionisturnedontoyou.Datinghighprofilepeopledoesnothelpeitherthinkaboutwhereyour priorities are. The lower your public profile the less chance you have of appearing on the states radar and encourage investigationofyourself. Amistakewellknownactivistscanmakeistodisappearsuddenlyfromthescene,whileremainingincontactwithotheractivists: itsetsalarmbellsringing.Ifyouaregoingtodisappearundergrounddoitgradually. The main threat to your security is how much of a profile they can build on you and your network of contacts. The police regularlymonitornewpeopleonasceneorinaknownactivegroupsotheyhaveanideaofwhotheyareandwhetherthey deservefurtherattention.Thisbasicmonitoringisroutine,andpeopleoftenmakethemistakeofnoticingitandimmediately assumingthattheyareintroubleortheirdoorisabouttogothroughanymoment.Therealityisthatyouhavejustappearedon theirradarandtheyaredoingabitofbackgroundresearchtofindoutmoreaboutyouforthefuture. Anotherreasonforcarryingoutsurveillanceistoconfirminformationthattheyhavereceivedfromothersources,suchasphone tapsandgrasses.Forexample,thatyoureallyareonthewaytoafamilyfuneral,andthatitisnotcodeforanaction.Other reasonsarebasicinformationgatheringtheymaybesatoutsideyourhousesimplytofindoutwhoyourfriendsaresothey canbuilduptheirprofileonyouandthegroupsyouarein. Itisunnervingwhenitfirsthappenstoyou,butkeepyourcool,dontdoanythingrash,justbeawareofthesituation.Paniconly givestheimpressionyouhavesomethingtohidesodrawsmoreattentiontoyou. Knowing that youre under surveillance or that your house may be bugged may have a psychological effect. It is a horrible intrusiononyoursenseofspaceandpersonallife.Dontbottleitupasthatmakestheparanoiaworse.Talkitoutwithfellow activistsandworkoutwaysofdealingwithit.Itisgoodtorememberthatyouarebeingbuggedandundersurveillancebecause youarebeensuccessfulandbeingsuccessfuliswhatcounts.Alsoifyouplayitrightitispossibletooutwitthem.

6.1Dealingwiththepolice
Thepolice,inourexperienceknowlessthantheypretendto.Wehavefounditmucheasiertoexpectthemtoknowsomething butnottoletitrattleusiftheyuseit. Acommontrickistouseyourfirstname,ortodeliberatelyletslipsomepersonaldetailaboutyouintoconversation.Whenyou thinkaboutittheinformationisoftenprettyinnocuous,andsimplyshowstheyhavebeendoingsomebackgroundchecking frankly, so what? Ask yourself, why are they doing this? Why else would they admit theyve been checking up on you, and basicallydoingtheirjob,unlesstheywanttorattleyou?Iftheyweredoingapropersurveillancejobonyou,theyarenotgoing tobelettingthingslikethatslip.Rathertheyareeithertryingtofrightenyouoffthroughparanoia,orscaringyouintomakinga mistake. Stay cool, dont get rattled and evaluate just what it mean in the light of what you plan to do as an activist. In our experience,itgenerallyamountstoverylittle. Thestateislookingfortwomainthingsaboutyou:yourbeliefsandyournetworkofcontacts.Thatis,whatareyouupfordoing, andwhoareyoulikelytobedoingitwith.Stateintelligenceisnotgenerallydirectedatsolvingaparticularcrimebutatbuilding upadatabaseofknowledge,sothatwhensomethingdoeshappentheyknowwheretolookstraightawaybeforetheevidence hastimetobedestroyed. Evidencegatherersatdemonstrationsareacommonfeature,andpeoplegetquitenervousabouttheirconstantphotographing ofpeople.However,iftheyweresimplyrecordingyourpresencethere,theydonlyneedonephotograph.Whattheyarelooking foriswhoisdoingthespeeches(intheireyesanindicatorsomeoneisaformoforganizer)andwhoistalkingtowhom.Itisthe lattertheyaremostinterestedin,asitallowsthenetworktobebuiltupofwhoisfriendlywithwhom.Nexttimeyouareona demo,watchthewaytheymoveandwork;lookatthepeopletheyarephotographingandwhattheyaredoing. Onapersonallevel,youropponentsarejustasprejudicedastherestofsocietyinstereotypingonhowpeopledress.Ifyouwear radicaltshirtssupportingundergroundgroupsorprovocativepoliticalslogansoradressedinquasicombat(toprojectahard oractivistimage)orpunkclothing,youwilltostandout. 33

Clothingandappearanceisimportant,butifyouaregoingtobeaseriousactivist,standingoutissomethingyoushouldavoid.It is nice to be an individual, but if you are doing stuff which attracts state attention why help them mark yourself out? Unfortunately,wedonotliveinautopiasoactivistsseriousaboutwhattheydo,willhavetomakethissacrifice.Theideaisto blendintothesocietyaroundyou.Dresscausallyineverydayclotheswithnormalhairasifyouwereaneverydaymemberof society.Itisallverywelltodebatethenatureofwhatiseverydayandnormality,buttherealityforacovertactivististhatthe stereotypesaregenerallyquiteclear;thesedebatesshouldbeputasideforthepracticalreality.Youraimistogetawayand continuebeingactive,notbringingattentiontoyourselfbuttoyourcause. Apersonwithagreenmohicanisveryeasytofollowaround.Evenwearingadistinctivejacketeverydayisenoughtomarkyou out, and make you much easier to follow. Describing regular clothes worn is much easier to do than todescribe faces unless thereareotherdistinguishingfeatures(beards/particularglasses/hairstyle). Ifthestatedoesmountaserioussurveillanceoperationagainstyou,thechancesarethatyouarenotgoingtoknow.However,a commonmistakeoftheparanoidisthatthisgoesonagainsteveryoneallthetime.Thestatesimplydoesnothavethissortof resource that sort of budget is kept for the people they see as genuine threats which in turn comes from studying their previous intelligence and from inside information. Unless they are really out to get you, you are more likely to be targeted intermittentlysotheycanupdatetheirfilesonyou,andbylowlevelcopperswhogivethemselvesawaytothepreparedeye. Beingapproachedtobeaninformerisalwaysapossibilityandshouldnotbediscountedevenofveryseasonedactivists.For what to do if you are approached by the police we recommend the article on the freeB.E.A.G.L.E.S. website at http://www.freebeagles.org/articles/grass.html

6.2AtHome
Belowaresometechniquesandadviceforprotectingyourselfathome.Thewaytoapproachitistoaskyourself,Ifthepolice cameinnow,whatwouldtheyfindwhichwouldputmeatrisk? Theotherruleofthumbistoneverdiscussanythingsensitiveinyourhouse.Goingoutintothegardentodiscussstuffisnotsafe either.Eveniftheyhavenotbuggedyou,donttaketheriskoflettingthemknowwhatyouorothersareupto. Ifsomeonecallsaroundtoletyouknowaboutanupcomingactionortoarrangeameetingtodiscussasensitiveissuetakea walk, preferably in a direction you dont normally take. If you use the same route regularly for sensitive discussions consider changingit.Leavemobilephonesinthehouse. 6.2.1Controltheinformationinyourhouse Burnyourrubbish,personalletters&bills.Thesecontainalotofusefulinformationaboutyou,yourhabitsandyourcontacts. Haveaprocesswhereyoudonotleavestuffsuchasenvelopes,notes,samplesofyourhandwriting,etclyingaround,wherea grassclosetoyoucouldreadorpilfer.Forexample,ifyouareinthehabitofnotingmobilephonenumbersoremailaddresses downonscrapsofpapergatherthemupregularlyanddestroy. Depending on your background, situation and the nature of your activity, consider whether having any radical literature is necessarytobethere.Ifyouarenotwellknownoractingindependently,thissortofmaterialisvaluableevidenceshowingyou haveinterestinthemovement/campaign/etc. Diariesareabadthing,evenifwellhidden.Ifyouthinkofagoodhidingplace,youcanbesurethatyouarenotgoingtohave beentheonlyoneandthatpeoplewhospecialiseinvestigationsarealsogoingtobeawareofit.Thisincludesbehindpictures, underboards,incisterns,tappedundercupboards,insidecushions,etc. Sayingthat,ifitisaraidbylowlevelcoppersthenthereisagoodchancetheywilloverlookstuffcertainlywehaveheard enoughstoriesofpolicemissingtheobvious.Whatyouneedtodoisconsiderthebalanceofoutcomeshowlikelyyouareto beraidedbythesortofagentsofthestatewhoknowwhattheyaredoing,againsttheriskthatinformationistoyourself. AnyriskyinformationshouldbeputonacomputerdiskandencryptedusingPGPandstashed,soatleastyouhaveachanceof keepingtheinformationoutoftheirhandseveniftheygetthecomputerordisks. Donotgiveyourcarkeysorhousekeystootherpeopleunlessyouparticularlytrustthem. 6.2.2Preparingforaraid If you suspect that you are going to be raided at some stage for example an action has gone wrong, or something big has happenedinyourareasothestateisbeingveryinquisitivekeepallsensitivematerialinyourhousetogethersothatifyouhave toremoveitinahurry,youarenotwastingtimesearchingforthatelusivebutdamningpieceofpaper.Planningaprocessto dealwiththeriskyinformationinyourhousewillmakethismucheasier;ithelpspreventyouloosingmaterialandgivesyoua greaterdegreeofcontroloverit. 34

 Remember,ifyouarebeingwatchedanypanickyactionwillbenoted,thusbringingfurtherattentionyourself.Thisisonereason whypoliceknockonactivistdoorstheymayknowyouarenotgoingtotellthemanything,butiftheycanrattleyourcage enoughsothatyouslipupthentheymaybeabletogetsomethingonyou. Tip:Ifyoudogetavisitdonotstartringingpeopleinvolvedinyouractionorsimilar,asthephonecallsmadeafteravisitwill receivemorescrutinyandmayindicateotherpeopleasbeingworthyofattention. Sensitivematerialshouldberemovedfromyourhouseonaregularbasisinacalmmannernotfurtively!Thisdoesnotprevent youfrompractisingcountersurveillancetechniques,butdosodiscretely.Anysensitivematerial(includinganythingrelatingto thetarget,evenifitissimplyleafletsonrelatedissues)shouldbedealtwithbeforeanaction,notafter.Thisgoesforsimplestuff aswellamagazinefromGreenpeacecanandwillbeproducedasevidencetoshowthatyouareinterestedinantiGMissues andinferencescanbedrawnfromit,especiallyifyourtargethappenstobementionedinit. Ifyougetwindthatsomethinghashappenedandyoususpectyoumaygetavisitasaresult,staycalmandprioritisewhatyou need to get out of your house. Get friends to call around and take stuff out for you, or take back their possessions. Again planning for such events and having safe places set up will make all this easier to deal with on the day in the middle of surveillanceandknocksonthedoorisleavingittolate,andyouwillnotthinkasclearlyplusyourcontactswillnotbepleased atthesuddenattentionyoumaybebringingunannouncedonthem. Dependingonyourlocation,youmayactuallybeabletolegitasinonecasewhereoneactivistinahouseabouttoberaided grabbedthecomputerandleggeditintoneighbouringgardens,gettingoutoftheareasafely. Evenifyoudonthaveanythingtoworryabout,materialwise,inyourhouse,theattentionfromthepoliceisunsettling.Often (thoughunfortunatelynotalways),suchvisitsaresimplytorattleandintimidateyou;assuchtheyshouldbetreatedmoreasa statement about the level of their intelligence and the evidence they had. If their intelligence was particularly good they wouldntbestoppingbytoseeyouforafriendlychat,butdraggingyoutothepolicestationforalessfriendlyone. If you allow it to panic you into paranoia or ineffectiveness, then you have let them win. There are activists who are raided almostonaregularbasis,whostillcontinueondoingveryeffectiveactions. 6.2.3Phones,computers&emails Clickingandwhirringsoundsorfeedbackonyourphonesdoesnotmeanyouarebeinglistenedthough,thoughitmaybethat theyareintendingtoinduceasenseofparanoia.Therealityisthatiftheywanttolistentoyourconversationsyouarenotgoing toknowaboutit.Thesameistrueforemailsandmobilephones.Basically,neversayanythingonthephoneyouwouldnotbe preparedtostandupincourtandadmit.Neverplananythingoverthephoneyouwouldnotwantyouropponentstolearnof. Whenpreparinganaction,remindevenexperiencedactivistsincasethatitisnotclearhowcoverttheactionistobe.Ifyouare remindeddonotbeoffended,itisjustgoodpractiseandnobodyisperfect. Evenifwhatyouaresayingisnotillegalinitself,thinkabouthowmuchitcouldbeusedtobuildupapictureofyouandothers whichwouldbeusefultotheirprofilingofactivists. Anyphonecanbeconvertedintoalisteningdevicethatcanbeactivatedremotely,andtheabilitytodoithasbeenaroundsince phoneswerefirstdeveloped.Ifyouarehavingasensitiveconversationyoushouldnotbedoingitinaroomwithaphoneinit, landlineormobilealike.Whisperingonthephonedoesnotwork! Places like GCHQ in Cheltenham monitor every phone, text and email communication. This is achieved by sophisticated programmesthatdomorethanpickuponkeywords,butalsoputthemintocontext.Itisnotinfallible,butitissomethingtobe awareof.Usingcodescanwork,thoughinourexperiencetheywillsometimescheckupthesecoverstories.Thebestadviceisto avoidplanningstuffoverthephoneandemaildependingontheseriousnessoftheactivity. SomeactivistsrecommendusingaprogrammecalledSkype,ifyouhavebroadband,tomakephonecalls.Thisusestheinternet to make your phonecalls using what is known as VoIP. Its main usefulness is that you do not have a phone bill listing the numbersyouhavebeencalling.LaterversionsalsouseencryptionsoftwareforSkypetoSkypephonecallswhichisapparently causingsecurityservicesheadachesasitmeansthateveniftheycannotusetheSkypecallsinacourtcasetheycannotlistenin for intelligence gathering purposes. See http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/11/23/skype_stumps_german_spys/ and http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/01/29/skype_trojan/forfutherdiscussionoftheseissues. However, there are several criticisms which limit Skype as being a more useful security tool for communication. There is evidenceemergingthatSkypetolandlinecalls(usingsomethingcalledSessionInitiationProtocolorSIP)canbeeavesdropped on. Another problem is that the Skype software is not open so without peer review of the internal code one can never be certainthatitdoesnotcontainvariousflawswhichotherscanexploittolistenin.Weknowthatsoftwarecompanieshaveput 35

backdoorsintotheirsoftwareattherequestofgovernmentssowewouldmarkthisupasseriousconcern,asvariouscomputer securityexpertshaveraised. Theproblemwiththissort ofapproachingeneralisthatitwillnotdefeatbugsinyourhouseoronyourcomputer.Itis,we recommend,ausefultoolforlowlevelsecuritythathamperstheireffortstobuildupaprofileofyou(plusbeingcheaper),but wewouldnotrelyonitforanythingahigherlevelofsecrecy. Itisatruismthatthemoreyourelyontechnologythemorethattheflawsinitopenyouuptomonitoringnotjustbythestate, butbyothergroups/individualsaswellwhoareunlikelytobeworkingfromthebestofmotives. Withregardstoemail,unlessyouencryptitproperlyitisnothardatallforittobeinterceptedandusedagainstyou.Ideallyyou willbeusingGPGencryptionwithThunderbirdemailprogrammeonanUbuntu/Linuxdesktop,andignoringWindows/Outlook altogether. Whilethephoneandemailareusefulforfacilitatingandinitiatingstuff,buttheydohavetheirlimitations.Itispossibletomake emailmoresecurethroughvarioustechniques,butyouhavetobeproactiveaboutintroducingthem.Seebelowforachapters onmobilephonesecurityandtouchingonsecuringemail. 6.2.4Mail Mailiseasilyopenedandread.Sometimesitisdoneveryobviously,othertimesnot.Onesigntowatchoutforismailappearing inabundleeveryfewdays.Anotherisregulartearsontheflaps. Whensendingmail,glueorSellotapedownthecornersoftheenvelopesoitishardertoteasethelettersout(donebyusing tweezers to wrap the letter into a thin tube that can be pulled out. Also secure other seals on the letter so they cannot be steamedopen.Envelopescanalsobemadeseethroughusingspecialsprays.Ausefulwayaroundsomethisofthisistouse birthdaycardsandtheliketoenclosetheactualmessage. However,thereisgenerallylittlewayofknowingofwhetherithasbeeninterceptedornot,sodontputanythinginlettersthat eitherincriminatesyourselforothers. Anoldtrick(thoughlesscommonnow)bysecurityserviceswastowriteletterspretendingtobesomeoneelseinthegroup,or anothergroup,tosowedseedsofdissent,sobeawareofsuchtactics.Ifthelanguageinanemailorletterisnotcharacteristicof theauthor,questionifitisgenuine.Ifindoubt,ringupthesenderandaskthemdidtheywriteit.(Thoughbeawarethatsome peopledohavegenuineissues,anditdoesnotmeantheyarebeingdeliberatelydisruptive.) Whenpostingstuff,mostofwhatwaswritteninprevioussectionsapplies.Anythingsensitiveshouldbedonewellawayfrom yourarea.Towriteletterssecurelyandanonymouslyseetheseparatearticleattheend. 6.2.5Beingawareofintruders TheStatecangetintoanyhouseiftheywantto,sotheyarefundamentallyinsecure.Ofcourse,ifyouaredoingnothinginyour house,thenthisisnotaproblem.Itisanuncomfortablefeelingbutoneactivistsneedtolearntolivewithinordertoachieve theirgoals. Therearefewlocks,ifany,availabletotheaverageactivist,whichcannotbebypassed.However,ifyourlocksuddenlygetsstiff ordevelopsdodgymechanismitcouldbethesignofahamfistedlockpickingattempt.Checkfornewscratchmarksaroundthe edgeofthelockbutensurethattheyaregenuinelynewandnotthatyouveneverlookedcloselyatitbefore.Itcouldalsobea simplefailureofthelock,solookforotherevidencetobackupyourhypothesisbeforedrawinganyconclusions. Keepyourhouseclean.Itismucheasiertosenseifyouvehadanintruderifitis,asyouwillbemoreintunewiththelittlethings thathavebeenmoved.Itisapsychologicalthing. Onwindowsandatotherstrategicpointsleavealayerofdust.Thusiftheyvebeendisturbed,itwillleavetrails,orelsebewiped cleaniftheynoticedit. Theproblemwithleavingmarkerswhichmaybedisturbedisthatbyenteringtheroom/openingthedoor,youmaybedisturbing themaswell,soitisimpossibletotellwhetheritisyouwhohasupsetthemarkerornot.Atricksomesuggestistostanda cigaretteonitsfilterandlightitsoitburnsintoacolumnofash.Anyonewalkingbywilldisturbit,anditisimpossibletoreplace (unlesstheyclearupthemessandstartagain).Thecigarettealsohastobeplacedsomewherenotcompletelyobviousandalso inapositionwhereyouenteringisnotgoingtodisturbit.Ifusingthesesortsoftechniquesdotestrunstoensuretheywork properlyanddonotgivefalsepositives. Hairstuckonwithspitisnotparticularlyeffective,asthehaircanfalloffasthespitdriesoutandyourmovementsdisturbtheair intheroom. 36

 Alarmsareamoreexpensivesolution,butagainnotfoolproof.Theywillstopthebasicattempts,butagainstmoresophisticated attemptstheywillfail,especiallyifyoudonotknowwhatyouaredoingwhenitcomestosettingthemup.Ifyouareexpecting intruders,thenitisbestnottohavestuffofuseforthemtofindinthehouseorofficeinthefirstplace.Certainlydonotleave sensitivemateriallyingaround. Tip:possiblehidingplacesareinbagsorjarsoffood,butwillnotfooleveryone. 6.2.6Beingbugged Police(andprivateinvestigators),eitherthroughcovertintrusionorduringaraidcanputbugsinyourhouse.Thisiswhyyou shouldneversayanythingthereyouwouldfeelunhappyaboutdefendingincourt,thatwouldgiveawayplansforactions,or wouldimplicateyourselfandothers.Orindeedgossipthatcouldbeusedagainstyou. Bugscomeinavarietyofdifferentformsandsizesandcanbehighlysophisticated.Mostarenowvoiceactivatedanddesigned toblendinwell.Oldtrickssuchasrunningwaterandhavingloudmusiconinthebackgroundwillnotnecessarilybeeffective againstthem.Aswellasbreakingin,otherwaysofgettingbugsintoyourhouse(oroffice)isthroughguests,newappliances whichhavebeenintercepted,andgifts.Someofficeshaveapolicyofmeetingpeopleawayfromtheofficewhichwilldeterall butthemostdeterminedattempttobugyou(whowillsimplybreakin).RecentlyithasbeenseenthatthepoliceintheUKused wirestodropbugsintothehousethrougheaves,soavoidingthemhavingtoactuallyenterthehouse. Longtermbugscanbehiddeninsidetelephonesandelectricalsocketswheretheycantapintothemainsforaslongasneeded. Othersarebatteryoperated,andhavealimitedlifespan.Theycanbehiddenanywherecupboards,bedheadboards(pillow talkisnotsafe),sofasandinnumerousotherplaces,includingclothes.Theycanalsobeembeddedinobjectssuchascups, lampsandsuchlike.Anoldfavouritewasinthetopsofdoors. Recoveringthedataisthemainissuewithbugs,thatis,howdothepolicegettheinformationback?Somestoreinformationand needtobecollectedatalaterdate.Otherswilltransmitittoanearbyreceiver.Theformerarehardertodetectandtendonly tobefoundduringrenovations.Thelatterareeasier,astheyuseradiosignalstobroadcasttheinformation,andthuscanbe pickedupbyscanners. Asearchchecklist Openwiringpointsandcheckfor Look for pinholes made in walls, Use UV to detect if there is any devicesbeingattached. etc. changesinthepaint. Lift up carpets or probe their Check the tops of doors, their Check the back of furniture, surfaces for bumps and wires. A frames and even inside door including looking for places common place is the edge of knobs. whereitmighthavebeencut. carpetsatwallsastheyareoutof Behindpictures Stereos, TVs and other sightandeasytoputin. appliances. Drawers including their frames Allair/ventilationducts. andundersides. Mattressesandpillows Ceilingpanelling Undertables,chairs&shelves. Curtains, especially those with lining. Window frame mouldings for Devicesattachedtolinesoutside removal,pinholesorwires. Vases,plantpots,books. ofthehouse.

6.2.6.1Scanners Scannersaresimpledevicesthatpickuponradiofrequencytransmissions;theycanbeboughtinshops(e.g.Maplins)orover theinternetandarenotillegaltohave.Followtheinstructionsonusingthemcorrectly.Normalpractiseistogooverthehouse withthescanneraboutsixinchesfromthewall,whiletalkingconstantly.Manybugsarevoiceactivatedsoastoconservepower sounlessthereissomethingtoactivatethem,itmaynotbetransmittingatthetimeyouarescanning. Thereisamajorproblemwithscannersinthattheywillalwaysbeonestepbehindthebugsthemselves.Whenbugdetectors startedbeingabletodetecttransmissionfrequenciesof2GHz,bugmanufacturerssimplyuppedthetransmissionfrequencyto 3GHz.Therealhightechscannerscostinthetensofthousandsofpoundsandrequireprofessionalstooperate.However,police andotherinvestigatormayrelyonolderequipmentdependingontheirownbudgetconstraints. Ononehand,manypeoplestillusebugsthatcanbefoundbyoverthecounterdetectorssotheycanbefound.Ontheother handitcanleadtoafalsesenseofsecurity,andremovingbugscanencouragethesurveillancepeopletousemoreeffective techniques.Ifonedoesfindbugsyourothersecurityprocessesshouldprotectyousufficientlyanyway. Onapersonalnote,beingbuggedisdisconcerting.Itdoesfeellikeaninvasionofprivacy.However,ifyouarementallyprepared forittohappenandaretakingsensibleprecautionsthenitisreallyoflittleconcernthattheyarelisteninginforwhatthey 37

actually hearing? A way of turning it around is to consider it as a 'fuckyou' back to them. We often leave them in place and simplygetonwithourlivesandtakingaction. 6.2.6.2YourCar,theGarden&theEnvirons Manypeoplewillassiduouslychecktheirhouseforbugs,butthenforgettodothecar,garage,gardenandevenlocalenvirons whereitisobviouslyidealformeetingssuchaslocalwoodedareasandparks.Allthesehavebeenknowntobebuggedsoitis worthcheckingthemespeciallythecarandgarden.Similarlyphoneboxesinyourimmediatevicinity. Withthecar,goodplacestolookare: Inside:roofinsulating,glovecompartment,underseatsanddownthebackofthem,headrests,underthedashboard. Outside:bumpers,wheelwells,underneath,exhaustpipes,engineandboot.Inmoreobviousplacesthenitmaybethe deviceissmearedwithgreaseanddirttodisguiseit.However,severalhavebeenidentifiedbymechanicssimplycoming acrossthemasbeingsimplyoutofplace. Otherdevicesusedoncarsareinfraredreflectivetapeandchemicals,bothwhichenhancessomesurveillancecamerasandhelp identifythevehicle.Thechemicalscanberemovedbywashing.Thetapeiswhiteortransparent,butisoftenontheback,near thetop. 6.2.6.3HighTechSurveillanceEquipment Evenifyouaresurethatyouarenotbeingbugged,youropponentscanstilllisteninonyou.Forexample,iftheyfindoutyouare havingameetingaroundatyourhousetheycansimplyparkupandputalongrangeddirectionalmicrophoneinitsdirection, whichcanpickuponconversationsthroughwalls. Mention is often made of lasers being bounced of windows to listen to conversations and read the contents of computer screens.Wehavenotactuallyencounteredanyonewhohasexperiencedthis,thoughwehaveheardthatthequalityisoften prettypoor,especiallywithclosedcurtainsandthecomputerfacingawayfromanywindows.Also,ifyouaretakingtheright securityprecautions,youwillnotbesayinganythinginyourhousewhichwouldcompromiseyouinplaceslikeyourhouse.

6.3Yourareaandneighbours
Itisgoodtoknowyourneighbours,intermsofwhomtheyareandwheretheylive.Befriendlywiththem,evenifitgoesagainst thegrain.Youdonthavetotellthemyouarepoliticallyactive,thoughinsomecasesitcanactuallybeanadvantage.Neighbours havebeenknowntosuccessfullyrallyaroundactivistswhohavegotintotrouble. Neighbours(andlikewiseworkcolleagues)canbeasourceofinformationbothforyouandthepolice.Inthepastthepolicehave been known to approach neighbours, in particular the curtaintwitchers, and pump them for information on you and your activities.Somegofurtherandwillprovidethepolicewithdetailedmonitoringofyouorevenallowthemtoplacecamerasin theirhouses.Thepolicemaytelltheneighboursoutrageousliesaboutyouinordertoconvincethemtocooperate. Ifyouarefriendlywithneighbours,thenyoucanpickuponpeopleapproachingthemtoaskquestionsaboutyou,andtheyare less likely to cooperative with or believe your enemies. If they do believe them, you can pick up on those who have been approachedbythechangeintheirattitude. Inonecaseanactivistfoundoutthattherewasacameraintheflatoppositethembecausethelandlordoftheblockofflatswas unable to keep the secretand it found its way into friendly ears. Another discovered the video trained on their door when a neighbourtuningtheirTVpickeduptheimagesofthefrontdoor. Itisgoodtoknowyourimmediateareawell.Drawupamapofthewindowsaroundyouandkeepaneyeonthem.Putfacesto housesandwindows.Watchoutforwindowsthatneverhavelightson,orcurtainsthatnevershutfullybutwherethereare peopleenteringandleavingthedwelling.Itisnotadefinitesignofbeingwatchedbutsomethingtobeawareof. Knowingthefacesisalsogood,asiftheyturnupatanactionorwheretheyshouldntbeyouwillbeabletorecognisethefact straightaway.Thisisnotcommon,buthasoccasionallyhappened. Aswithbeingbugged,beingwatchedneednotbethatmuchofathreatifyouaretakingtherightsecurityprecautionsanyway. Attheendoftheday,thosewatchingyouhavetogetresultsandhavefiniteresources.Iftheycantgetresultsfrombuggingand monitoringyourhomethentheywillnotkeepitupforever,orcutbackonthetimeandeffortspentonit. Onefinaltipforyourneighbourhoodistogettoknowyourestatequitewell.Watchoutforcarsbeingparkedupinunusual places,oratjunctionsattheendofyourroadwheretheycanwatchwhichdirectionyouarecomingoutofyourhouse.Often thesecarswillbenondescript,butotherthanthepersonsittinginthemforprolongedlengthsoftime,thingstowatchoutfor arelackofdealertags,newtyresandextraaerials.Evenifpeoplearesittingincarswiththeirbackstoyou,theycanstillbeusing 38

therearviewmirrortowatch.Likewiseworkvehiclesarenothardtosetupsoarealsousefulforsurveillancekeepacloseeye onwhattheyareuptoandwhichhousestheyareentering. Whathasbeenfoundusefulbysomeiswhencheckingiftheyhaveapotentialtail,whetherathomeoratameeting,isforone persontodoaquickwalk,usingtheexcuseoftakingoutadogorgoingtotheshop,tospotifanyoneissittingaroundinalikely car.Thisshouldbefollowedupbetween15to30minuteslatertoseeiftheyarestillthere.Thisisnotproofinitself,butitis worthnotingthecarsmake,colourandnumberplatessothatifitappearslateritcanbeimmediatelyclockedasatail.Ifyou stronglysuspectavanorcarisbeingusedforsurveillanceonyou,stoptotieyourshoelacenexttoitandhaveagoodlookatit: Arethetyrestoogoodforthemodel? Isthereacollectionofmapsinit? Hasthedetailsofthegarageitwaspurchasedfromonthebackwindscreenbeentakenoff?Similarly,nodetailsonthe licenseplate. Aretheirextraaerialsattached? Doesthevehicleoritsoccupantsturnupinotherplacesyoufrequent? Ifthevehiclesaysitispartofacompany,ringthecompanytocheckthatitisgenuine(youcanuseastorylinesuchasit isblockingyourdriveandyouwanttocontactthedriver). Againoneofthesebytheirownisnotevidence,buttheyallplayintothepatternyouarewatchingoutfor.However,sometimes youwillgetclearmarkingsthatitisastateownedvehiclesuchassaying'Police'onthetaxdisc. 6.4YourVehicle Yourcarisaveryusefulwayoftracingbacktoyou,andbuildingupapictureofyouractivity,especiallyifthecarisusedfor groupactivity.Ausefultechniqueforminimisingthisistoregularlychangeownershipofthevehicle.Generallyyoucandothisas oftenasyouwant.IntheUKavehiclecanonlyberegisteredtoaPOBoxifitisinthenameofaregisteredbusiness. The State, as a rule, is very keen on who drivers of vehicles are, as to their way of thinking it is a position indicative of a leadershiprole,andalsousefulpeopletotakeoutinordertocrippleagroup.

6.5SelfDefence
Securityalsoincludesprotectingyourselffromphysicalharm.Whenoutandaboutbeingactiveyouneverknowwhatsortof nutter is going to attack you, and that includes enraged security guards, hunters, etc. Learning a few basic moves on how to breakoutofgripsanddisableattackerslongenoughforyoutogetawayisimportant. Manyselfdefencecourseswillteachyouwhatyouneedtoknow.

6.6YourPersonalProfile
Alargeamountofpoliceworkandsurveillancesfocusedonbuildinguppersonalprofilesofindividuals.Thisallowsthemtobe placedintheirnetworkofhierarchieswhichareassumedonhowgroupswork,andalsotocategorisepeople,whetherasa serioustreat,someonewhoisonlyanincidentalplayerandsoon. Animportantpartofthisisbuildingupapictureofyourcontacts,evenifyouarenotdiscussingstuffopenly.Thisiswhytheyare interestedinwhoyouaretalkingtoondemonstrations,orwhoisvisitingyourhouse.Eveniftheyarenotgettinginformation thatwillconvictyou,itisstillbeingabsorbed. Asapartofthis,thestateandcorporationarekeenonfindingoutwhoarethesignatoriesofbankaccounts,whosehousesthe meetingsarein,whothedriversare,asthesearethepeopletheyequatewithbeingthemainorganisersandthustogetthe majorityofthesurveillanceeffort. Corporationsarealsointerestedinthissortofinformationasitallowsthemtogotocourttogetinjunctionsagainstpeople,and totiepeopleintogether.Eveniftheevidencebyitselfdoesnotamounttomuch,itcanallbethrownintothemix.Sayingthis,if youarecompletelyopeninyouractivism,oryourcoverhaswellandtrulybeenblown,thenmuchofthisisnotamatterforyou personally.Bytakingothersecuritymeasuresyoucancontinuebeingacampaignersafely,andevencovertly.Whereitdoes comeproblematicisthathavingbecomeapointoffocusitcanbeatooltoleadthepowersthatbetootherswhomightnot haverisensohighontheirradar. Thereisnoprivacyinprison;ifyouwritealettertoaprisoner,orevenvisit,thechancesarethatitwillbelogged,especially wherethereisapoliticalaspecttothecase.IntheUKphonecallsmadebyprisonerscanbetappedandusedincourtcasesand havebeen,withoutanyoftheothersafeguardscurrentlyinplace.Theobvioustipsareto a)useadifferentnameifwriting; b)preferablytyperatherthanhandwriting,evenifyouareusingyourhomeaddress,and c)ifaprisoner,avoidsayingpeople'snamesonthephone. 39

Theaimisthatevenifyouareincommunicationwithaprisoner,thenitisharderforthestatetousethatevidenceincourt, eveniftheystillassumefortheirownprofilingthatitisyouwhoisinvolved.Ifthissoundsabitparanoid,inonecampaignthe evidenceconnectingoneindividualtoitisbasedonaprisonergreetingherbynamewhentheprisonermadeaphonecalltothe campaignoffice. 6.6.1YourOnlineProfile OnlinenetworkingsitessuchasFacebook,MySpace,etconlyhelptheminthis.Peoplegiveawayhugeamountsofpersonaldata andprovidecleardetailsofwhoknowswho,andhowwell.Asaninterestingexercisepickarandomprofileandseehowmuch youcanlearnaboutthatindividual;bycombingtheirfriend'swebsitesyoucanalsofindoutfurtherdetailsofwhattheyhave beenupto,theirpoliticsandsoon.Alsoconsiderwhatwouldhappenifyouronlineprofilewaspulledoutinacourtcase.What sortoftroublecouldthatcausetoanydefenceyouhave,forexample,whatgroupswoulditshowyousupported.Arelated issueisthatothersalsousepopularnetworkingsitestomonitorexistingandpotentialemployeessoyoumayneedtoengagein someselfcensorshipastowhichgroupsyousupport,especiallyiftheyarebeenleanedupontofireyou. IfyouareonasitelikeMySpace,avoidputtinguppersonalphotosofyourselforgivingpersonaldetailssuchasyourdateof birth,andsoon,againsomethingwhichhelpsidentifyyou.Orelsegiveafakeone.Iffriendshaveputupphotosofyou,ask themnottotagyouwithyournameorcommonidentifiersootherscombingtheirsitesfordetailsaboutyouwillnotbeable toimmediatelygrabanimageofwhoyouare. Itisnotonlynetworkingsitestobecautiousonanysortofbulletin/messagingboardretainsyoupostsforeveryonetosee,and manywillalsologyourIPaddress.Emaillistscanbepublishedeasilyenoughonwebsitesorjoinedbypeopleyoudonotknow. Thereisnothingstoppingyouusingemailaddressesoronlineidentifiesthatdonotrelatedirectlytowhoyouarechose randommonikers(notyourhamster'sname)foryouremailaddressoridentity;ifpersonaldetailsarenotimportantforthesite, eg.dateofbirth,hometown,thendonotenterthemin. Youmayalsowanttoconsiderwhatyoubuyonlineandhowthatwilltieintoyourprofileorcouldbeusedagainstyou.Consider gettingafriendtousetheircreditcardtobuyyourtraveltickets,etc. AnotherproblemwiththeonlineworldishowmuchinformationisretainedbycompaniessuchasGoogle,Yahoo,etc.Search enginescancreateahistoryofyouronlineactivitiesdatingbackoveradecade,andareagoldmineforthoseinvestigating.It buildsupagoodideaofwhatyouhavebeendoing,whereyouhavecomefrom,variousscrapsofpersonaldetailswhichcanall beaddedtogetherandsoon.Thisissomethingtobeawareofbothnowandforthefuture,asonceyouarethere,itisincredibly hard,ifnotimpossibletohaveinformationremoved. Again,allthisdependsonyouractualsecurityneeds.Howmuchinformationyougiveawayisuptoyou,justbeawareofhowit mighthelpotherswhowouldbeinterestedinfindingoutaboutyouforreasonsnotsobenign.

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7.Surveillance Beingputundersurveillanceisafactoflifeforthepoliticalactivist.Itisactuallyasignthatyouarebeingtakenseriouslysoitis notalwayssomethingtobeconcernedabout.Itiscertainlynotbeingparanoidtothinkitcouldneverhappen.Itdoes,andmuch moreregularlythanissupposed,thoughnotofteninasystematicmanner.Thereisnobasicrightthatstopsyoufrombeingput undersurveillance,sorelyingonthelaworthefactyouarenotdoinganythingwrongarenoprotections. Inthefollowingwedealwithhowtodetectandevadesurveillancewhenyouareonfootorinavehicle,knownasphysical surveillance.Wewillnotgointotechnicalapproacheshere,thoughtheyareoftenanintegralpartofasurveillanceoperationas well. Thereareseveraldifferentreasonstobefollowed.Themaintwoareintelligencegatheringandtointimidate.Thelatterisdealt with at the end. The third category is because you are suspected to be involved in criminal behaviour and the police or intelligenceservicesanticipatestoppinganaction.Dependingonwhichsituationyouconsideryourselftobein,thenthatshould feedintohowyoureact. All activists, and even individuals only connected on the periphery of a group or campaign, will be watched at some stage, includingactivesurveillanceoftheirlives.Themainpurposeindoingthisistobuildupaprofileonpeoplesothereisatleasta basicfileonyou(e.g..nameanduptodateaddresstogowithaphotograph)andsotheyhaveagoodideahowyoufitintothe organisation or group theyare targeting.And also whether you are worth acloser look (a reasonwould be hanging out with otheractivistswhoareknowntobeinvolvedincovertactionsororganising).Highprofileactivists,especiallyoutspokenones, willbeunderregularsurveillanceasamatterofroutine.MostotherswillhaveperiodicsurveillanceastheStateseektoupdate theirintelligenceandprofiles.Themistakeistothinkthatsurveillanceonlyhappenspriortoactionsorarrests. Ofthepeoplewhoarelikelytofollowyou,therearetwoapproximatecategories: a) Theprofessionalwithmoneyandresourcesbehindthem.Thesecanbeeitherprivateinvestigatorworkingforaverybig corporation,orskilledStateoperativesfromtheintelligenceservices. b) Everyoneelse,whichincludesyourstandardprivateinvestigatorsorpoliceofficerwhohashadminimaltrainingwith limitedresourcesandtime. Thelatterisgenerallyeasytospotonceyouarelookingoutforthem.Tailingsomeoneismuchharderthanyouwouldexpect, especiallyifthepersonbeingtailedistakingmeasurestospotorloseanysurveillance.Manypolicenowsimplyfollowopenlyas theyaretoovisibletogetawaywithit,andtheiraimisoftentodeterratherthanarrest. Ifyouarethetargetofamajoroperationthentheywillthrowfarmoreresourcesyourwaywhichmakesdetectionfarmore difficult. For instance, it is rare for just one car to be used. In one operation 14 different vehicles were involved in follow an activistscaralongamotorway.Fortheprofessional,surveillanceisjustasmuchaboutnotbeingdetectedasitisfollowingthe target. Being followed by professionals is very hard to detect. It can be done, but it does require effort and planning to be successful. Professional surveillance teams are ready for countermeasures so if you are in a situation where loosing them is importantthenitisnotgoingtobeatrivialexercise.Theproblemisthatasyouloseonetail,anothercomingfromadifferent directioncanpickupwherethefirstoneleftoffeveneasierwhereyouarefollowinganestablishedpattern. However,ourexperienceofsurveillanceonactivistsindicatesthatthosedoingthetailinghavefewerresourcesavailablethanis idealsocanbespottedwithmanyofthetechniqueswediscussbelow. The main question the activist needs to ask themselves is how they want to deal with surveillance. This may have significant consequencebothforthereactionofthesurveillanceteamandthecampaigner'sactions.Ifyouarenotparticularlyengagedat themomentinactivitiesyouwouldratherthestatedidnotknowabout,ortheyaresimplydoingroutinesurveillancetoupdate theirfiles,thenwesuggest,asaruleofthumb,thatyoudonotletthemknowthatyouareaware.Instead,avoiddrawingfurther attentiononyourselfandfocusonconfirmingwhetheryouareactuallyundersurveillanceornot.Saveactiveantisurveillance activitiesforthosemomentswhenyouneedtoconfirmthatyouareindeednotbeingfollowedbeforepotentiallycompromising yourselforanaction. Ifyouaredealingwithrelativelyamateurishtailsitcanbequiteempoweringandfuntorunringsaroundthemtothepointthat theygiveup. Thisdependsonwhatyouaredoingandwhatsortofcampaigningyouareengagedin.Ifyouarethesortofactivistswhoiswell known to the State this is more appropriate behaviour to engage in, than someone wanting to keep a relatively low profile. Often, surveillance from demonstrations is for intelligence gathering purposes; that is, to identify people on the action and wheretheyliveforfuturesurveillance.Inthiscase,losingthetailmakestheirjobmuchharderwhygivethemintelligenceon yourgrouponaplate?
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In some cases police openly follow activists to disrupt an event so losing them becomes useful; some of the techniques we discuss below on an antisurveillance are also applicable to dealing with this sort of problem (though it is also useful to be a decoyifyouhavetheappropriateprofile). Oneadvantageofconfirmingatailiswhenyouforceatailtoexposethemselvesormakingthemrealisedthey'vebeenspotted (knownasburning),thenyoudestroytheirusefulnessasatailsotakingthemoutofthepictureandstretchingthelimited resourcesdevotedtoyouevenfurther.Undercoverpolicewillgetquitefreakedoutatattemptstophotographthem,aswhen theirpicturesarepublisheditdestroystheirabilitytocontinueasanundercoveroperative.Thoughbecarefulasthepolicehave beenknowntoraidhouses/officesandseizeequipmentsolelyforbecauseofthis,sotakecare. Usingantisurveillancetechniquesonanonprofessionaltailcanencouragethemtolearnfromtheirmistakesandbecomemore cautiousinfuture.Theywillbebetterpreparedtohandleothercountermeasuresyouuseinthefutureaswell.Thus,ifyouare planningtoburnatailthenitisbesttodoitproperlytomakesuretheydonotcomeback.Thisisalwaysaproblemwithanti surveillance.Italsoencouragesthemoreamateurishsurveillancetobrushuptheirtechniquessoitishardertospottheminthe future,anditbringsattentiontoyourselfsoencouragestheuseofmoresophisticatemethods. Likemostthingsrelatingtosecurity,awarenessofsurveillanceshouldbepartofdailylifeforapoliticalactivist.Developingyour skillsandinstinctisveryimportanthere.Youcandevelopyourobservationalskillswithoutbeingunderactualsurveillanceor withouthavingtoactevasively.Withpersonalsecurity,yourinstinctcanhelpyoudetectifthereissomethingoutofplacein yourenvironswhichyouneedtopaycloserattentionto,thesamegoeswhenyouaremovingaround.Whatstartsassomething unnaturalandawkwardatstarteventuallybecomessecondnatureandyoubarelynoticethefactthatyouarescanninganarea forvehiclesandpeoplewhoareoutofplace.Italsomeansyouappearmorenaturalwhendoingit,andlessshifty. Also,likeothermattersinsecurity,itisnotthesortofthingthatyoucanstopandstartwithatwhim.Bythetimeyouhave noticedsurveillance,thechancesarethatiftheyareatleastsemiprofessionalabouttheirjob,theyhaveprobablyalreadybeen atitforseveraldaysandyouarebehindinthestakes.Itwillnotbehardforthemtomoveuptomoresophisticatedmethods whileyouarestilltryingtoidentifythesurveillanceteam.Surveillancewilltakeplaceovermanydayssoitisusefulkeepwhat youvenoticedinmind(ormakeanotetoremindyou)incasethesamefaceorvehicledoesappearagainatalaterstage. Similarly,youneedtobewareofbeingunnecessarilyparanoidwhenitcomestodetectingsurveillance.Asuspicionthatyouhave seenafaceorcarbeforeisnotevidenceenoughthatyouareundersurveillance.Tobesureyouhavetowaituntilevidence buildsupuntilitisconclusive.Thisrequiresthattheactivistsisbeingconstantlyobservantandbeingproactiveinsinglingout facesandvehiclestopaycloserattentionto.Orthatyoutakeactiveantisurveillancemeasurestoforcetheirhand. Another situation to be aware of is where you are preparing for an action. Suddenly looking over your shoulder and acting erratically may give them the impression that you are up to something so deserve further attention. This is why surveillance detectiontechniquesshouldbeemployedregularlysoeveniftheyaremonitoringyoutheywillseeitasbeingpartofyourlife, andnotsuddenchanges.Plusthemoreyoupracticethemorediscreteyouareabletomakeit,andthemoreyoudevelopthat allimportantinstinct. Whenyoudoundertakeantisurveillancetechniques,haveitplannedoutinadvance.Makesureitisthoughtthrough,andyou knowwhatexactlyitisyouarelookingforanythingsuspiciousisnotgoodenough.Furthermore,haveitreadysothatthey arenotexpectingyoutotakethatsortofaction.Forexample,travellingdownanobscureroadthenightbeforeanactionistoo lateasiftheyarewatchingyouthenyouarejustgivingthemtimetoprepareforwhenyoudoitagain.Suchantisurveillance routesshouldbeplannedwellinadvance,andcreatedaswhatappearstobepartofotherwisenaturalbehaviour(e.g.visitinga friendorgoingforahike),anditisbesttohaveseveralready. Ourfinalpointisthatsurveillanceisalsostatic.Housesnearbyyoucanhavepeoplewhowillletcamerasandmenbeestablished intheirfrontroomssotheycanmonitoryourcomingandgoing.Ifthereisanemptyflat,itmaywellhaveamotionsensitive cameratakingaphotoofeveryoneenteringorleavingyourhouse.Thishasbeenknowntohappen.Stationaryvehiclesarealso used,thoughmoreobvious. Given the variation in experience of surveillanceteams and of local geography, there are no absolute rules whenit comes to dealingwiththeissue.Everythingofferedisguidelinesandtherewillbetimeswhentheydonotapplyoryouneedtothinkin different ways. Thus the following sections are divided primarily into vehicle, foot and static surveillance. These are further dividedintourbanandruralsituations.Subheadingsinthesearepassive,activeandantisurveillancetechniques,thatisineach givensituationwestartwithpassiveobservationtechniques,moveontomoreactiveapproachesforconfirmingthatyouhave correctly picked up your tail, then tactics on how to lose them if you so wish. To make it easier, we suggest that you first familiariseyourselfwiththefollowingglossary.

Glossary
Target:thepersonorvehicleundersurveillance.AlsoreferredtoasthePrincipal. 42

SurveillanceTeam:thegroupofpeoplecarryingoutthesurveillanceonthetarget. Command:thememberofthesurveillanceteamwhohasthetargetinsightandisdoingtheactivetailing. Stakeout box: where a stationary target is surrounded by the surveillance team to be ready for when they move off or to monitortheiractivities. Trigger:memberofsurveillancewatchinghouseorstationarytarget,waitingforthemtomove.Theyinitiatetheactualtailing thoughtheydonotnecessarilydotailingthemselves. Pickup:thepointatwhichasurveillanceteammemberorvehiclebeingstofollowthetarget,normallybecomingthecommand atthatpoint. CounterSurveillance:theuseofasecondteamtolocateandidentifythoseputtingthetargetundersurveillance. AntiSurveillance:takingactiontoloseasurveillanceteam. Passive:measuresusedtoidentifysurveillancewithoutchangingyourroutineorpatterns;avoidsalertingsurveillanceteam. Active:takingmeasuresthatwillallowyoutoidentifysurveillancethatinvolvesthetargettakingevasivemeasures.Canbeovert orcovertdependingonwhetherthetargetwantstoavoidalertingthesurveillanceteamornot. TargetPatternAnalysis:astudyofthetargetidentifyingtheirhabitsandotherroutines,allowingforeasiersurveillance. Expose:ifasurveillanceteammemberorvehicleisvisibletothetarget,thenitissaidtobeexposed.Thetargetmaynotbe awareoftheirpresence. Burn:asurveillanceteammemberorvehiclethathasbeenpositivelyidentifiedasatailbythetargetissaidtobeburnt.

7.1Preparationfordetectingsurveillance
Thecoreofsurveillanceistargetpatternanalysis.Thatis,theroutineandhabitsofthetarget,thepersonbeingfollowed.This coversmanythings,butinparticularstuffsuchas:whataretheregularroutestakentoandfromplaces,drivingstyle,whothey visitandsoon.Whattheyareseekingtodoistobeabletopredictyourmovementstomakethemselveslessnoticeableandthe surveillancejobasawholeeasierandlessresourceconsuming.Donotassumethatbecausestufffeelsobvioustoyou,suchas howyougettoandfrofromworkandwhereyouworkthatitsistothem.Theystillneedtoconfirmit. Targetpatternanalysisisofsingularimportanceasitisattheheartofmoresophisticatedsurveillanceplanning.Targetpattern analysismeansthatasyoudriveoff,itisnotthememberofthesurveillanceteamwatchingyourfrontdoorthatfollowsyou,but thevehiclewaitingoutofsightafewhundredmetersawayalongtherouteyounormallytake.Itisoftenthemomentyouthink youhavegotawaythatyouactuallygetpickedup. Manyofthetechniquesthatareusedtorecogniseanddealwithsurveillancearebasedonthetargetbeingawareofwhatsort ofinformationanysurveillancewillhavepickeduponthem.Inotherwords,youworkoutwhattheywillhavelearnedabout you, and you use the fact they are depending on it to defeat them when it comes necessary. Just as they analyse you, you analysethem.Knowingthestandardproceduresusedforsurveillancemakesyourownanalysisofwhattheyarelookingforin yourdailyroutinemucheasier.Knowingwhattowatchoutformakedetectingsurveillancealotmoremeaningfulandeasyas well. This also means that you need to know your area well and identify observation points that could be used for watching your houseandvehicle.Wherewouldthetriggerbe,andwerewouldthepickupbepotentiallysituated?Markthemonmapsofthe area, including which direction any vehicles are likely to be parked in. If you know which points to keep an eye out at then pickingupsuspecttailsbecomesmucheasierandsecondnature. Ifyouthinkthatyouhavebeenundersurveillanceforaperiodoftimealready,youneedtoconsiderwhatpatternsofyoursthey havealreadypickedupandcouldbeusingintheirsurveillanceonyou. Howyouplanyoursurveillancedetectionsdependsgreatlyonwhatyourintentionis.Youneedtodecideifyouaregoingtolet onornot;whetheryouareplanningtolosethemordoyounotreallycareatthisstage.Sometimesthiswilldependontheday. Forexample,ifyouarepartofalargepubliceventtheymaystartattemptingcovertsurveillanceonyouhopingthatyouwilllead themtoanythingplannedtheymaynotknowabout;however,ifitbecomesclearthatyouhavemadethemthentheyarelikely toswitchobjectivestosimplykeepingtabsonyouwiththecommandoperativethatyouhaveidentified.Thisistodisruptyour activity,astheymayassumethatyouaresomesortofcrucialorganiser. 43

 Drawamapofthebuildingsaroundyou.Whichwindowsalwayshaveblindsdrawnandshownosignofactivityorlightsever beingturnedon?Whoaretheregularvisitorstoyourstreetandwhatistheirtypicalappearance?Likewisewithvehicles. Everyareawillhaveprosandconswhenitcomestosurveillance,hencewhyitisasmuchanartasascience,andthereareonly guidelines.However,knowingwhattoexpectandplanningoutsurveillancedetectionmeasureswillturnyourobservationsfrom guessworkandparanoiatoproperconfirmationofwhethersurveillanceisactuallytakingplaceornot.

7.1.1Surveillanceteamtechniques
Before you get ready to spot for surveillance it is worth knowing the typical behaviour of a professional surveillance team in action.Understandinghowtheyworkmakesiteasiertowatchoutforthegiveawaybehaviourandtakeappropriateactionsto detectorevade. Trigger Thetriggeristhepersonorvehiclewhoiswatchingoutforthetargettostartmoving.Theycanbeparkedupinvehiclesonfoot. Itisrarethattheystartfollowingoncethetargethasbeenspotted,butinsteadtendtomoveinadifferentdirectiononcethey haveconfirmedthetargethasbeensightedandwhatdirectionthearemovingin. Inlessexperiencedteams,theycangetintothecarthatbeginstailingadeadgiveaway. TheCommand Thecommandisthepersonorvehiclewhichiscurrentlytaskedwithkeepingthetargetinsight.Theirbehaviourastheyattempt todothisiswhatyouneedtobelookingoutfor. Where there is a team of experienced surveillance operatives, then the command will change regularly to avoid giving themselvesaway.Ifthecommandfeelsthattheyhavebeenexposedtothetargettoolongorthattheyhavenoticedhim,then theywillbechangedatthenextopportunity. Inamateursurveillanceorwheretherearelimitedresources,thenthecommandoftenremainsunchangedorreappearsagain. Insophisticatedsurveillancetherewillbeanumberofvehiclesorfootoperativeslocatednearbywhowillbeincommunication withthecommand.Thepreferredtechniqueistotravelingparalleltothetargetandthecommand.Thuswhenthetargetmakes a turn, the command simply continues traveling on straight, allaying suspicion against them. They cease to be command and takeuppositionasoneoftheflankingoperatives.Meanwhile,oneoftheparallelmembersoftheteamonthesidewhichthe targethasturnedwilltakeuppositionbehindthemascommand,withthetargetthinkingthatthevehiclehasturnedupbehind thembyaccident. Thistechniqueworksbestinwelllaidoutcitiesandtowns.Inplaceswheretherearebendyroads,onmotorwaysandonrural roadsitbecomesmuchmoredifficult;thustheopportunitiesfordetectingandevadingsurveillanceincreasesgreatly. ObservationPoints Anobservationpointisusedtokeepaplaceundersurveillance.Itisplacedwithinsightoftheplacebutpreferablyarounda cornerorwherethereisgoodvisibilityofpossibleroutesthatcanbetaken.Whenoutandabouttheobservationisoftenaside roadthatgiveslineofsiteandtheabilitytochangedirectionasneeded. Canbeahouse,butismoregenerallyavehicle.Ifitisavehiclethenislikelytobeavan,camper,etcwheretheinteriorcanbe hidden.Pointstolookoutonthemareextraantennae,notseemingtobelongtoanybuildinginthearea,curtainsandother materialthatstopthebackbeingseeninto. Toallaysuspicionitwillhaveaseparatedriverwhodoesntremainwiththesurveillanceteam,butcomesandgoesastheyneed him.Suchdriverswillhaveanothervehiclestationednearby,orarrangetobepickedupbyanothermemberoftheteam. Wheretheobservationpointisinahouse,watchforwindowswhicharekeptcoveredanddevoidofactivity,e.g.lightsnever turnedon.Theremaybeunusualvisitorstothebuilding,generallyonfootastheywillleavecarsoutofsightincasetheare madebythetarget.Shiftchangeswilloftenhappenlateatnightsotheyarenotnoticed,andwithmodernequipmenttheydo notevenneedtohavepeoplepresent.Keepingamapofthesurroundingbuildingsandalltheirwindowsallowsyoutomonitor activitywhereacameramaybeplaced.Itwillhavegoodvisibilityofyourdoorway.Emptyflatsarealsoknowntobeused.A goodnetworkamongneighbourshasbeenquitegoodatroutingtheseout. Inoncecase,acamerawasplacedfacinganactivistsdoorandtransmittedtoarecordingdevicesomedistanceaway.Thiswas detectedbyaneighbourtuningtheirTVandpickinguptheimageofthedoor.Thecamerawasidentifiedandfromtherethe recordingdevicewasalsofound. 44

StakeoutBox Anytimeatargetstopsthesurveillanceteamsetupwhatisknownasastakeoutboxaroundthem.Thepurposeofthisisthat theyarepreparedforwhateverdirectionthetargetdecidestomoveofinnext. Itmakesspottingthecommandvehicledifficultatthisisoftenthepointatwhichtheychange.However,thestakeoutboxisa pattern,wherebythesurveillanceteamtakesuppointsthatgiveadvantagesinfollowingyou.Theywillusesidestreetsandpark inthedirectionoftheflowoftrafficthattheyexpectyoutotake.Oftentheywillparkindirectionspointawayfromyouasthat willbethewayyouwillbetravelingshouldyoutakethatroute.Thuswhenyousetoffagain,thecommandwillcomeoutofside streetsbehindyou.However,ifyouareawareofyoursurroundingsandcanidentifywheretheyarelikelytobeparked,thenthis canbedetected. If the stakeout box is around regular places such as your house, etc, then they will use target pattern analysis to decide in advancethemostlikelyroutesyouwilltake.Thismeanstheycanparkfurtheraway.Itisworthtakingwalkstoshopsornearby friends,orevendogwalks,thatwilltakeyoupassedsuchpointyouhaveidentifiedsoyoucanobservethemcovertly.Thisisa goodtechniquetobuildintoyoureverydaylifetocheckifyouarebeingwatched. Onfootthesituationismoredifficultforthem,butifyougoingintoashoppingcentrethentheywilltryandcoverallexits. Lostcommandroutine Whenasurveillanceteamlosessightoftheirtargettheywillattempttofindyouasopposedtogiveup.Thefirstthingtheydois searchdownthesurroundingsideroadsoralleywaystoseeifyouhaveturneddownany.Iftheyfailtofindyouthere,theywill returntowheretheylostyouandcontinueinthesamedirectionasyouwerelastknowntobetraveling,withspeed.Thisiswhy returningtotheareawheretheylostyouisabadidea,asisparkingupnearbyonceyouhavegiventhemtheslip,unlessyour placeofconcealmentisquitegood.Whileyoumightknowoneortwoofthevehiclesfollowingyou,youmaynothavespotted themallandyoucouldsimplybepickingupanotheroneoftheteam. Ifevasionisnotyougoal,thenyoucanusethisroutinetoburnoperatives,asitisdifficulttorelocateyouandavoiddetectionat thesametime.Forexample,parkingupandwaitforthemtocomesearching.Inonecasethesuspectvehicledrovebyandwas clockedbythewaitingactivists;itwentontoparkuparoundacorner,awarethatitcoverwaspotentiallyblown.Theactivists thendroveupnexttoitandengagedtheminconversation,makingsureeveryonehadagoodlookatthesurveillanceteams faces.Theylookedveryuncomfortable.Ifevasionisnotanissuethenitdoesnotmatterthatiftheyarepolicethentheywill giveupattemptingtobecovert,andsimplyfollowyouovertly. Exposure Surveillance operatives are desperate to avoid exposure, but it takes a particularly skilled operative to avoid betraying themselves when they are caught of guard. If there is a team working on you they will have only one operative or vehicle exposedtoyouatanyonetime(includingtrigger). Avoiding eyecontact is the usual one, and operatives may go out of their way to avoid it, even tripping up in their efforts, dependingonhowskilledandpreparedtheyare.Lessskilledoperativeswillshowtheirsurpriseandanger.However,muchbody languageisinstinctiveandtheymaynotrealisetheyaregivingoutsignalstippingyouoff. It is also worth allowing patterns to be established as this lulls them in to complacency and dropping their guard slightly surveillanceishardtokeepupforaprolongedtimeatthesamelevelofintensity.Thus,whenyoubreakthepattern,theyare more likely to show their surprise. When you are traveling a route not normally taken, or is new to you, then they are automaticallymorealerttoyouractions.

7.1.2Whattowatchoutfor
Vehicles Whenyoupasssuspectvehicles,thedriverandpassengersmaygooutoftheirwaytonotglanceinyourdirection,lookingaway astheypassyouorstaringaheadfixedly.Watchhowpeoplereactnormallyandthencompareitwiththoseyoususpect. Canyouseethemrepeatedlypressingbuttonsonaradioastheytalk?Aretheytalkingrepeatedlyandpeeringforward? Whileonfootwhenasuspectvehiclepassesyoudoesitspeedupasitpasses;doesitquicklyturndownasidestreet? Onfoot Itismucheasiertospotgiveawaybodylanguagewhenbeingsurveilledonfoot.Lookoutfor: Coughing,trippingandotherbehavioursofsomeonewhoisbeingdistractedwhenthereisnoobviousreason. Signsoftensionssuchaspacing,focusedstaring,checkingthetimerepeatedly,twitching. Generalawkwardmannerisms. 45

Speakingintocollarsortheirchinloweredintotheirchestsastheyspeak. Touchingtheirearsrepeatedlyisinstinctivereactiontoanearpieceinuse. Isthereawirerunningdowntotheircollar?Thoughwiththeprevalenceofpersonalstereosandmp3player this is far more common place and harder to detect unless it really looks out of place with the rest of the personsattire. Dotheystopandstareintonothingafeatureofsomeonetakingamessage. Adjusting clothes hiding communication devices or repeatedly putting their hands in their pockets to manipulate a communicationsorlisteningdevice. Clothesoutofplaceforthevenue(e.g.suitinapunkvenue,etc). Startledlookastheyencounteryouunexpectedlyinactivedetectiontechniques Badwindowshopping(comparehowpeopleusuallydoitbymovingtheirheads,asopposedtoatailwhoistryingto seeinthereflectionornotproperlylookingatall). Thesamepersontakingyetanotherphonecall. Someoneinaphoneboothdoingmoreobservingthanactualtalking. Avoidingmakingeyecontactatallcost. Generaluncertaintyifyoubreakanestablishedpattern. Aretheycarryingabagwithavideocamerainit? Carryingoutrepeatedscratchingofheadorcheckingofwatchpossiblenonverbalcommunicationsignals.

Appearance Asurveillanceteamwillattempttoblendin.Theywillnotbedressedinsharpsuitsandsunglassesandlooklikesomethingout ofHollywood.Theywilluseoperativeswhoarenondescriptandwhodonotdrawattentiontothemselvesbyhavingfeatures thatstandout.Oftentheywillbethesamesexasthetargetasthishelpsallaysuspicionandattention.Thekeytosuccessful detection is to put preconceptions aside and watch for peoples behaviour and not their appearance. Appearances including clothescaneasilybechangedbysomeonewhoknowswhattheyaredoing. Sayingthat,theamateurisnotabletoindulgeinthetechniquesofaprofessionalandasaresultmuchmoreeasilypickedup. Also,iftheterritoryisunfamiliarthentheymaygetthedresscodewrongandgenerallyshowsignsofdiscomfort. Nightobservation Atnighttheworldisadifferentplace;youneedtobemoreintunewithhownoiseandsilhouetteschangeinthedark.Likewise itisworthdevelopingyounightvision:thistakesabout30minutesandyouneedtoavoidbrightlightsoryouwillruinit.When lookingatthingsuseoffcentreviewingorscanratherthanlookingdirectly. Rememberingdetails Vehicles Tipstohelpwiththisaretolookfor a. Bodyshape b. Shapeofheadlights c. Dentsorscratchesorotherdistinguishingfeaturessuchasbrokenlights d. Silhouetteatnight. Individuals With individuals you need to focus more on the general appearance, demeanour and the mannerisms rather than on small details.Tipstolookoutforare a. Facialhair b. Haircolour c. Unusualfeaturessuchasscars d. Theshapeoftheface Remembersomeofthiscanbechangedbytheuseofwigsorsimplychangingclothes(darktolight,etc).Bodyshapecanbe hiddenbywearingbaggyclothes.

7.2Vehicles
If you think you are being tailed use routes and techniques that will make it obvious. The following are some techniques to identify and deal with surveillance. The sort of vehicles can be any type but they will on the whole be nondescript and of generallycommonmodelsandcolours.Therewillbenothingfancy.Theremaybesomemodificationsthatgivethemawaysuch astirestoonew,thecarbeingtooexpensivefortheareawhereitisstationed,markingsofwhereitcamefromremovedand signsofprolongedoccupationssuchacoffeecups,fastfoodcontainersandscatteredmaps.

7.2.1Urban
Passivedetection 46

a.

Whengoingtoandfromyourcarusetheopportunitytolookatthesurroundingareaforpeopleorvehiclesthatmight beactingastriggersforthesurveillance.Dependingontheareathetriggermaybeonfootasopposedtoinavehicle. Try not to stop and stare but make it natural. If youve already worked out where in particular you should look it becomesquiteeasy. Aretherevehiclesnearyourhome,workorplacesyoufrequentregularlywhichhavepeoplesittinginthem?Oftenthey will have their sunvisors down permanently; this is done to stop faces being fully visible. This is surveillance that is poorlyresourcedorwheretheywantyoutoknowtheyarewatchingyou. Numberplates: d. Memorizenumberplates:ifyouspotacaryouaresuspiciousof,lookatthenumberplateandturnthelastthree lettersintoaword,e.g.BCHbecomesBaCkHand.Wordsareeasiertorecallthannumbersandletters,andifyou comeupwiththesamewordagainyoucanpickuponitquicker. e. Watchfornumberplatesthatdonothaveagaragenameonthem;policetailsareoftenmissingthese.Note,thisis notaguaranteethevehicleisdefinitelyatail.Someunmarkedpolicecarsactuallyhavepolicewrittenontheirtax discs. Doesthevehiclelookoutofplacefortheareayouarein?Itishardertoidentifywhenoutandaboutunlessyouknow theareaquitewell.Ordoesthevehiclelookmodified.Seethesectiononpersonalsecurityformoreonwhattolookin avehicleparkeduplikethis. As you pass identified pickup points, watch the parked vehicles. Often they will park in the same direction as you normallytakeandonthesamesideastheflowofthetraffic. Canyouseemapsandsignsofpeoplesittinginthemforawhile,e.g.coffeecups,foodpacketsontheseats? Ifpossiblechecktheexhausttoseeifitisrunningandwaitingtogo. Incoldweatheraretheygettingouttocleanthewindowsregularly? Dotheypulloutbehindyouasyoupass?

b.

c.

f.

g.

h. Vehiclestailingwillgenerallydrivetwotofourcarsback.Dependingonthenatureofthetrafficandtheroad,theyneed tokeepyouinsight,sowatchoutforvehiclespullingoutofthelineoftraffic(bothsides)andthendriftingbackin. Therewillbepointsatwhichtheycloseuponyou,dependingonobstaclesandothertrafficsituations,e.g.,roadworks, trafficlights,heavytraffic.Thisgivesyouachancetogetacloserlookatthem.Onebitofsuspiciousbehaviouriswhere a vehicle slows down prematurely so as to avoid coming right up behind you, so upsetting the flow of the traffic. Surveillancedriversofteninstinctivelyofpacingtheirdrivingtothetargetvehiclewilldisrupttheflowoftraffic. Atjunctions,trafficlights,etc,thesurveillancevehiclewilloftengetclosertothetargetvehicletoensuretheycansee whichdirectionitisintendingtoheadin.However,iftheyfeelthatithasbecometooexposeditmayturninadifferent directiontobereplacedbyanothervehicle,thoughthisdependsontheresourcesathand.Ifyoususpectavehicleand itdoesturnoff,stillkeepanoteofitsdetailsincaseitreappearsatalatertimeorday. Onlongerstretchesofroads,surveillancevehicleswillhaveatendencytopaceeachotherinaconvoy;thatismatch each others speed and keep the same distance apart; they are unlikely to overtake each other. This becomes a recognizablepatternthatcanbespotted.Theywillbeinfrontandbehindthetargetvehicle,withonesinfrontallow youtoovertakeascommandischangedaroundtoavoidthetargetgettingsuspicious. Theywillalsopacethemselvestothetargetvehicles.Thisallowsthemtobespottedthroughcarefulobservation.For instance,dependingonhowtheychangespeed,theywilltravelfasttocatchupwithyou.Astheygetclosetoyouthey willslowdownandpullbackinsteadofovertakingasyoumightexpect.Dotheydropbacktothesamedistancethey werepreviously? Adverse weather conditions will cause surveillance vehicles to drive closer than they normally would due to poorer visibility;inparticularlybadweathertheywilldriveinfrontofthetargetvehicle.

i.

j.

k.

l. m. Keepupobservationattrafficlightsandothersuitableplaces.

47

n.

Driving at night, the tail may wish to ensure they are following the right car, so will buzz you so they can read your numberplate,theneitherpullbackorovertake(beforefallingbacklater).Ifyoubelieveyouarebeingtailed,keepan eyeoncarsthathavebuzzedyou. Enterapetrolstationandseewhoelsefollowsyouin.Isthereacarthatisnotrefillingorsimplyparksup?Doesanyone follow you to the shop but doesnt buy anything? Can also use car parks for this, but they are harder to confirm suspicions with given their general geography, though it does allow you to narrow down the set of vehicles to be consideredsuspect.Likewisewithalaybyonamotorwayormainroad. Ifyouareinaservicestoporpetrolstationforsometimethenastakeoutboxwillbesetuparoundit(orinit,asinthe caseofaservicestation).Thisprovidesopportunitiesforyoutolookforthetelltalesignsasyoureturntoyourcaror leave the site. As you do so, take one of the nearby side routes as opposed to the main road, if there are such opportunities.Thisiswereyouarelikelytoencountersurveillanceteamvehicleswaitingtheymaybeparkedfacing awayfromthepetrolstation,etcincaseyoudidtakethisroute,buttheystillhavetopulloutandfollowyou,sogiving themselvesawaytothepersonwhoiswatchingforit.Ifyouareabletoobserveonthewayintoapetrolstationyou mayactuallywitnessthesurveillanceteamsetuptheirstakeoutbox. Stoppingtoeatinservicestationsgivesyouanopportunitytomonitorfacesandvehiclescomingin.Ifyouareplacedat awindowyoumayspotthemcheckingyourcarforphonenumbers/maps/paperswithdirectionsastowhereyouare heading. Inamultistorycarparkwhofollowsyouallthewayuptothetopfloortopark? Pulloftheroadandliftthebonnettoyourengineasifthereisafault.Doesanyonepullupinfrontorbehindyou,or stareatyouastheygopast?

o.

p.

q.

r. s.

Activedetection Erraticandsuddenchangesindrivingareamongthemostusefultechniquesfordetectingsurveillance.Theideaisthatyouforce areactionfromthem.Inordertokeepyouundersurveillancetheywillhavetoexposethemselveswithunnaturalmanoeuvres to match yours, or demonstrate uncertainty. The more professional a team is then harder it becomes as they will have the training and resources to not give themselves and to pick you up with another member or vehicle. You are also letting the surveillance team in on the fact you suspect you are being followed. Many of these techniques described here are equally appliedtoantisurveillance,wheretheaimistoloosetails.Inthiscasethesurveillanceteamsareseekingtoavoidexposureand enduphavingtoletyougetoutofsight. a. Erraticdrivingincludes a.1).runningredtrafficlights,orattempttoclearthemjustastheyareturningred;oftensurveillanceteamswillnot followasitexposesthemsothisisalsoanantisurveillancetechnique. a.2).cuttingdownsidestreets(bewareofpickingupsurveillancevehiclesmovingparallel)andothershortcuts; a.3).illegalturns. b. When you take turns or side streets there is a possibility that you will encounter one of the other vehicles in the surveillanceteam,perhapsonethathaspreviouslybeencommandandyouhavealreadybeensuspiciousof.Thusyou shouldlooktoseewhatothertrafficisalsoappearingasopposedtowhatisbehindyou. c. Pullintothesideoftheroadatagreenlight;whoelsewaitsbehindratherthangothrough? d. If you are aware of a blind turn or a sharp hill, drive fast into it and once through it slow down immediately. What vehiclesarebearingdownonyouastheyattempttogetyoubackwithinsight?Dotheydecreasespeedrapidlytostay behind you or do they realise they have been burned and over take to get out of the area. A variation is to pull in immediatelyandlookforthereactionofsuspectvehiclespassingyou. e. DoaUturn. e.1). Whoattemptstofollow? e.2). What vehicles behind you attempt to park up? Do they turn in your direction in an attempt to pick you up again? e.3). Whatistheirreactionastheypassyou? e.4). AvariationistopullinandwaitforanysuspectvehiclestopassyoubeforedoingtheUturn. Inlighttrafficthesereactionswillbequiteobvious,andinheavytraffictheywillcausemorecommotioninattempting todothem,bothplayingintoyourhands. 48

Standardpracticefortheprofessionalistocontinuetravelingonandnottoturnuntilthefirstopportunitycomesalong ratherthandoingtheirownUturn.However,inourexperiencethisisagoodmethodforexposingthesurveillancetails wheretherearefewerresourcesavailabletothem. f. g. IfyouareagooddriverthenyoucancombinetheUturnwiththeblindcorner/hillcrest;thiscombinationismuch betteratforcingreactionsastheyarenotpreparedforyouhavingturnedaround. Takeroundaboutsseveraltimes(thoughunderUKlawthreeisthemaximumnumberoftimesthatyouareallowedto this),thoughthesuccessfulnessofthisdependsonthesizeoftheroundabout,theheavinessofthetrafficandhowfar backthetailis. Indicate to take a turning at a junction and then go straight on. Has the suspected tail done likewise? This not particularlyeffectiveastailsoftendontindicateatallbecauseofthisandbeingseveralcarsbehindmeansthatthey can react to your change without giving themselves away. Works best for where the car you suspect is immediately behindyou. Whenparkingonastreetchoseadirectionoppositetotheoneyouleavein.Allowenoughtimeforastakeoutboxto setup.Youarelookingforuncertaintyinthetriggerontheunexpectedbehaviour,orvehiclesdoinginappropriateU turnseithertostayinthesamedirectionasyou.Italsomeansthatmoreresourceshavetobecommittedtotailingyou soincreasingthechanceofdetection. Culdesacsareidealforpickingupontails,andwithamateurtailsforlosingthem.However,yourtailsarealsoaware ofthis.Godowntheculdesacandwaitafewminutesbeforeleavingagain.Thetailwilldooneoftwothings: 1) Follow you down the culdesac (though you may need to allow them a few minutes to make this decision). In whichcaseyoucanimmediatelyspotthem,especiallyifitisacarthathasbeenwithyouforawhile.Plantoturn yourvehicleassoonaspossiblethoughoutofsiteoftheroadyouvecomefrom.Onanarrowculdesacyoucan begonebeforetheyhaveachancetoturnaround. 2) Waitontheroadoutsidetheculdesacknowingthatyouarepracticingantisurveillancetechniques.Asyoustopat thetopoftheculdesacwaitingtorejointheflowoftraffic,watchoutforcarsparkedupwiththeentranceofthe culdesacinsightandwhostartmovingonceyouleavetheculdesac.Drivewaysmaybeusedaswell,butmay dependonhighenoughhousingdensitytowork. If the culdesac is signposted and your tail is professional then they will not be caught out by this, but it still often works on the average investigator or police who have not got much experience tailing people watching out for such activity. j. Insuburbanareasgoforstreetsthatarecurvedasopposedtoagridlikestructure.Whenyouthinkyouhavegotthe tail out of sight, swiftly drive down a side street andgetarounda corner before parking up. In this case the tail will continuetosearchforyouandeventuallycomebackdownthesidestreet,thusgivingthemselvesaway. Insomecasestheytailwillactuallystop.Furtheruporaroundtheexitpointisusual.Asbythistimeitisprobablethat theyrealisetheyvebeenclocked.However,unlessitisheavydutyoperation,theywillquiteoftenwaitaroundtosee whatyouwilldoanyway.Inthiscasewesuggestthatiftheyhavealreadybeeninapositiontoseethefacesofwhoelse wasyourthecar,thenyoupullalongsidethemtohaveagoodlookattheirfaces,evenphotographthem(youhavea good excuse by saying that you thought they were trouble, though it in turn could be inviting them to harass you further,sobalanceouttherisks),evenaskthemaquestionfordirections.Itallowsyoutofindoutwhattheylooklike, whileatthesametimelettingthemknowtheircoverhasbeenblown. k. Use routes that are not obvious to get to your destination such as taking the long way around an estate or several blockswhenthereisablatantlyeasierwaytoreachit.Worksbetterforadestinationtheyarenotawareyoumightbe headingto.Itcanbeadestinationyouhavepickedsolelyforthispurpose. Havingleftyourstartingpoint,takeadifferentroutebacktoit.Doesanyonefollowyouback,eventotheendofthe street?

h.

i.

j.

l. m. Motorwaysandothermajorroadsprovidedifferentopportunitiesforspottingthetail.Asthetravelonthemisfaster thecommandvehicleandtheirteamalsoneedtobeabletoreactfastertokeepyouinsight.Theymayhavetoallow forthefactthatifyoucomeoffatajunctiontheyneedtoseewhichwayyouhavegone.However,atnightandon roads with long range visibility and low density traffic on them it may be that they do not need to be as close. Remember though, that if you force the hand of one surveillance vehicle, then it may be replaced by one traveling furtherbehindit. 49

 n. Whofollowsyouintoaservicestoporoverajunctionandbackontothemotorway?Thisisnottypicalbehaviour,butif theywanttokeepyouinsighttheymayhavetocommittoit,thoughifaprofessionalrealiseswhatyouaredoingin timetheywillloseyoubutletavehiclefurtherbackpickyouupfurtherdowntheroad.However,youhavepotentially takenonevehicleoutoftheoperation.Thisisnotatacticthatwillworkwithrepetitiveattemptsasthewillsoonget wisetoit.Amorecovertmethod,ifyouarenotreadytoletonyouveidentifiedthevehicleisatacomplicatedjunction goaroundinanoddwaythattakesyoubackontoyouroriginalroute,orevenintheoppositedirection.Whichvehicles havehadtogetclosetofollowyourandalsotakenthisoddpath?Thismayrequiresomepriorplanningtobesuccessful againstanexperiencedteam. Slowdowntoexitontoaserviceroadorjunction,butatthelastmomentpullbackoutontothemainroadwhodoes likewise? Justbeforeanexitfromamotorwaypullintothehardshoulder.Standardprocedureisthatthecommandvehiclewill leaveatthatexitsoyoumaybeabletoidentifythem. Attollschosethelongestqueuetogoto.Whodoeslikewise?Doesanyonegothroughandpullupordrivesslowlyuntil youpassby? Ifyouareprettyconfidentthatthevehiclerightbehindyouiskeepingyouundersurveillance,doanemergencystop that forces them to go into the back of you, or come very close. Get out and check their reactions often they will simplydriveoffratherthanengagewithyou.Ifyouareabunchofbigmengettingoutaggressivelytheymydriveoff outofpurefearratherthanbecausetheyaretailingyou.Iftheydontitgivesyouachancetoconfrontthem.

o. p. q. r.

Antisurveillance j.1). Thebestwaytoloseavehiclefromhomeistofollowanestablishedpatterntostartwith,thentosuddenlybreakitby taken unexpected turns or traveling at speed down roads, thus forcing them to take a choice of either losing you to avoidexposure,orexposingthemselves,soeffectivelytakingthemselvesoutofthesurveillanceteam. j.2). Bothsituationsareopportunitiestobetakentolosethem,andmoveoutofsightaltogether.Techniquesfordoingthis areextensionsofthevariousactivedetectionmethodsabove,whereinsteadofwatchingforreactionsofpossibletails youareusingtheopportunitytogetawayfromthemaltogether. j.3). If you are aware of a blind turn or a sharp hill top which cannot be seen over, either of which has a second turn immediatelyafterward,youcanusethistogetoutofsight. j.4). Ifyouareusingvehicles,parkupwhereyouhavequickaccesstoafootonlyroutetakingyoutoanotherroadwherea colleagueiswaitinginanothervehicletowhiskyououtofthearea. j.5). If you know an area well, then consider concealment in little lanes and long driveways, though this is very much dependantontheterrainandhowwellyoucanremainconcealedwhiletheyaresearchingforyou. j.6). Gofordensetraffic,andweaveinandoutofit.Itismuchhardertofollowsomeoneinthesecircumstances;useroutes theyarenotlikelytohaveanticipated. j.7). Atnightswitchofflightsandpullintoconcealedplacesorevendriveways(unoccupiedhousesorpretendtobelostto theowners). j.8). Bikesaremuchhardertofollowthanvehicles;especiallyinplacesweretherearemanycyclewaysdistinctfromroads, allowingyoutodisappearoutofsight.Itiseasiertoloosefootsurveillance,andeasiertodetectifanyoneisattempting to follow you, as other bikes tailing you and especially cars stand out a lot more. Planning is still needed as other membersofthesurveillanceteammaybewaitingattheendofthecyclewayforyoutoreappear. j.9). Forobservationvehicles,orevenindividuals,thereareseveralthingstodowiththem: Callthepoliceonthemwithastoryofwhyyoususpectthevehicleandobservethereactionsofthesuspected surveillance. Often the police will not turn up, but the surveillance vehicle, knowing they are now being watchedthemselves,willmoveshortlyafterwards. Ifyouhaveabackwayoutofwhereyouarethatisnotregularlyusedsounlikelytobewatchedasclosely, sneakoutandaroundtogetclosetotheobservationvehicle.Atnightthiscanbeusedforcovertsurveillance of the vehicleto see if there is anything further to add to your suspicions. The chances are thatyou will be detecteddoingthis,butitwillbeenoughfortheteamtoassumetheircoverhasbeenblown. 50

Monitor the driver of the vehicle to see if he is being picked up nearby after leaving it, or has a secondary vehiclestationednearby. Openlytakephotographsofthevehicletoscareitoff.

Thisisalsousefulpractiseforvehiclesthatarestationedfurtheralongyourusualrouteandmaybepartofastakeoutbox thatiswaitingtopickyouuponceyoupass.Itallowsyoutoconfirmsuspicionsandpossiblyburnthemdependingonhow closeyougettothem.

7.2.2Rural
Theruralenvironmentoffersfarmoreopportunitiestodetectsurveillancevehicles.Theroadsarenarrower,morewindingand havegenerallylesstrafficandmoretraffichazards(roadworks,slowtractors)thatplayintothehandofthepersonseekingto detectsurveillance.Therearealsoopportunitiestogetoffroadandconcealmuchbetter,thoughitmustberememberedthat someofthepitfallscanequallyapplytothetarget,especiallywhentryingtoescapesurveillance. Oncountryroads,parkupsuddenlyandwatchthebehaviourofthecarsbehindyou.Onesprovingreluctanttopassyouare suspicious.Italsogivesyouagoodchancetohavealookatanywhicharepassingbyandtheirreaction.Mostpeoplewhenstuck behindaslowmovingcararekeentospeedpastanddisappearwhentheygetachanceatailisnotsoeagertobeoutofsight evenifitisinfront.Whentheyhavepassedspinaroundandgoback.Ifyoudontgoback,keepyoureyesoutforpotentialtails beingparkedupwaitingforyoutopassagain. Dependingonwhatyouareupto,whenyouturnyourcararoundgoashortdistanceagainandparkuponcemore.Thetail having realised you have turned will turn and come back, so if one of the cars which passed you when you stopped initially passesyouoncemore,youshouldberightfullysuspiciousofthem.Thistechniqueworksbestonroadswithbends. Inrurallanesyouhaveseveraloptions: Get out and walk up to a house or into woods, so forcing the command to give themselves away by following or abandoningyou.Longerpathswhichallowyoutogetoutofsightanddoublebackareusefulforseeingifanyonehas pulledupandiswaiting. Driveintoafarmandturnaround,givingsuspecttailsenoughtimetopass,thendriveoffintheoppositedirection.If youknowtheareaquitewell,itmeansyoucantakearoutethatishardforthemtopickyouupagain. Use the narrow roads to your favour the chances are that you will have all the surveillance team behind you, so effectiveuseoftrafficlightscanlosethelot. Finally, the chances are that if they are very interested in you, a simple transmitting bug (known as a Bumper Beeper) is attachedtotheundersideofthecarallowingittobefollowedatadistance.Thisisonereasonwhyusingyourcartogodirectto securemeetingsorforhighriskcovertactionsisnotagoodidea,asthechancesareyouwillnotlocatethedevice. Sayingthis,therearewaysoftestingtoseeifyouhaveone,thoughnotnecessarilyfoolproof: Usearadioscannertodetecttransmissionsfromthecar. Driveintothecountryside,parkupandwaitinanadjoiningfieldtoseeifanyonecomesalongtocheckoutwhythe vehiclehasstopped.Tailspickingyouupwhentheyreallyshouldnothaveisanothersigntheymaybeusingabugin thisway. Standnexttothecarwithafriendanddiscussafakeactiontoseeifitprovokesareactionlateron.

7.3Onfoot
If you are being followed on foot again it is likely to use a team of people rather than an individual. Their dress will be nondescript and have few identifying marks or clothes. Saying that, ordinary policemen are quite easy to spot even in plain clothesbytheirwalk,stanceandgeneralineptness.Withamoreprofessionalteam,itishardertospotsurveillanceasyourline ofsighttothemisgreatlyreducedunlessyouspendalotofyourtimelookingbehindyou,whichisnotreallyrecommended. Passivedetection a. Enterashopandwatchwhofollowsyouorwhowaitstopickuponyouagainasyougoout.Watchforpeoplestaring intoshopwindows.Oftentheirbodylanguagewillgivethemselvesawayastheyarenotdoingitproperly.Itisusefulto practisewatchingpeopleinthestreetonhowtheywindowshopandsuchlikebeforedoingthissoyoucanpickupthe nuancesthatdistinguishbetweensomeonedoingitgenuinelyandthosewhoseareattentioniselsewhere(liketryingto spotyou).Checkweretheireyesarelookingandwhethertheyaredoingmorethansimplystaringahead. 51

 b.

Iftheshophasabackentranceleavethroughit,andpromptlystoparoundthecornertoseeifanyoneelseislooking ratherhurriedastheytrytocatchupwithyou.Lookuncertainaboutthedirectionyouaretakingorlookatyourwatch ifyouwanttoavoidbeingobviousthatyouarewaitingtospotthem Stopatacinemaortheatreandreadtheboardsthere.Thisgivesyouanexcusetostopandlookaround. Ifyougointoashoporanalleywayyoudonotnormallygointo,isthereanyonewhocrossesfromtheothersideofthe roadyouwereon.Dependingonwhatyouhaveentered,whatdotheydo?Dotheyfollowordotheyhangoutopposite theentrance?Ifitisasmallshopsuchasanewsagentorcafthentheyarenotlikelytocomeinasitisgettingtoclose toyouunlesstheyareinterestedinyourshoppinghabits.Iftheshoporcafhaslargishwindowsthenyoucanusethem towatchactivityoutsidetoseeifanyoneisloiteringaround. Professionaltailswillbereadyforyoutoduckintoashoportodowindowshopping,sotheywillsimplypassyouby. Thuswhileyouarelookingforpeoplealsokeepwatchonthosewhohavepassedyoubyandthenstopped. Inacaforsimilarchosetheseatwhichallowsyoutoviewasmanypeopleaspossible,anddefinitelyfacethedoor. Keepaneyeoutforcoupleswhoarenotchattingornotactingnaturally.Ithasbeenknownthatwhileagroup hasbeenrelaxinginapubsurveillanceteammembershavecomeinandsetnexttothemwithbagscontaining listeningdevices.Theygavethemselvesbytheirbodylanguage,consumingtheirbeerorfoodslowlyornotat all,andhaveverypoorinteractionamongthemselves,watchinginsteadpeoplefromthegroupgoingtothe barortoilet,etc. Isthereanupstairsseatingareawithwindowsoverlookingthestreet?Thisisagoodplacetositandwatchif anyoneisloitering,waitingforyou.Dosuspectindividualswatchthedoortothecaf,etc.,regularly? Inabookshopisthereanyonelookingatthesamebooksasyoujustbrowsedthrough,especiallypoliticalones? Onbridgesandthelikeyoucanalsostoptoadmiretheview,againgivingyouthechancetolookaroundyou.Whodoes likewise? Stairsandescalatorsinashopgiveopportunitiestolookfortails.Approachthemfromtheoppositedirectionsowhen youreachthemyouhavetodoahalfcircleturn,soabletolookbehindyouwithoutappearingtodoitdeliberately. Asyouleaveashop,stopandasksomeonethetimeorfordirections,keepaneyeonwhomighthavefollowedyouout, oriswaitingnearby. Choseanarroworquietstreettoactasachokepointtofiltersuspectsoutfromthecrowdsmakingthemeasierto identify.Doesntalwaysworkwithaprofessionalteamastheywillbepreparedforthis.Ifthisisnotaplaceyouwould gointhenormalcourseofbusinessthenitbecomesactivedetection. If in a train or bus station, change position regularly and watch those standing still. Keep an eye out for people not readingtimetablesornewspapersproperly.Ifpurchasingaticket,etcwatchoutforpeoplestandingrightbehindyou whomaybeabletooverhear.

c. d.

e. f.

g. h. i. j. k.

l.

m. Inshopswhoisnotactuallyshoppingorappearsoutofplace. n. o. p. q. r. GiventheincreasingprevalenceofCCTVcamerasintowns,andnotjustinthecentres,watchoutforthosewhichseem tomoveinyourdirection.Withthis,itisgoodtoknowwheretheyareinadvanceandbediscreteinyourmonitoringof them.Iftheydonotthinkyouarebeingawareofpossiblesurveillancethentheyareunlikelytobediscretethemselves. 52 Asyoucrossastreetwhoontheothersideslowsdowntoavoidcrossingyourpath.Dotheycrosstotheothersidebut continueinthesamedirectionasyou?Atajunctionwhoquickenspacetocrossitbeforeyoudo? Enteraplacewhereanunpreparedtailwilllookoutofplace,e.g.apunkshop,etc.Ifthisisnotanobviousplaceforyou tobeinthenthisbecomesanactivedetectiontechniquesohintsatthefactyouarewatchingoutforsurveillance. Inareasthatarenotcentreoftownorlowonpedestriansingeneraldovehiclesatstakeoutpointspulloutandtravel slowlybehindyou.Moreprofessionaloneswillmoveaheadofyouandwaitforyoutopass. Ifapproachaplaceyouplantouseasyourownobservationpoint,checkoutwhoisalreadytheretoeliminatethem fromconsideration.

s. t.

Istheresomeonehangingaroundyourstreetwithacamera?Thishasbeenknowntohappenwithamateursurveillance teams. Shopping centres are awash with opportunities to put the surveillance team on their toes, as there are many observationpointsavailableaswellasexits.Balconiesareidealforwatchingthosecominginbehindyou,asaresee through lifts. If you can get into a lift fast enough you may have a getaway route through passageways to nearby buildingsorcarparks.Othertacticsworthmentioningistouselittleusedexitstodrawoutwhoisfollowingyou;or entershopsatthelastminutewhenitlookslikeyouareabouttoleave.Standardprocedureforsurveillanceteamsisto coverallexits.

Insomecases,thoughwearenotawareofitbeingaregularpractice,thetailwillchangetheirownappearance,usuallywith hats,glassesorcoats,inordertoallayyoursuspicionsofthem.Hence,focusingontheseobjectsisnotnecessarilyagoodwayto logthepersoninyourmemoryassomeonetokeepaneyeon. Activedetection Dropsomepaper(makeitlooklikeitaccidentallyfallsoutofyourpocketasyoutakeyourhandoutofit)andseewho stopstopickitup. Anemptystreetisagoodplacetospotorloseatail.Trydoublingback,watchingforpeoplewalkingpastslowlyand watching,etc. Themaintoolfordetectingfootsurveillanceistheblindcorner,andworksverywellwithamateurorincompetenttails. Takingoneyouaresettingupanopportunitytocheckreactions,bydoublingbackonyourselfwhichtheycannotseeso arenotpreparedfor,orbysimplystoppingandwatching.Ifthereisacaforshopwithagoodwindowjustaroundthe cornerthenenteringthatallowsyoutogivethemthesliportoobservetheirreactions.However,aprofessionaltailwill actuallywalkonratherthangoroundtheblindcorner,andusetheircommunicationsgeartogetanothermemberof theteampickyouup. Whenyougoaroundablindcorner,considerduckingintoanofficeblockandconcealingyourselfthere;thisisworth doingifyouarequickthinkingandabletobluffreceptionists. Doublebackonyourself,andrepeattoseewhoyoukeepspotting.Tailswillavoidmakingeyecontacthowever,andwill attempttodressfortheareatheyareinsoitmaynotalwaysbeabletospotthem.Whatyouarelookingforisthe uncertaintythatyouhavejustcausedthemastheydecidehowtoreacttoyourchange. A professional will be on the other side of the road rather than right behind you. Rather than just turning around, cross the road and then go back in the direction you came. This is active detection, but it is much better at forcing themtoreactandyouhaveagoodopportunitytogaugereactions.Thisismuchmoreeffectiveonnarrowterrainssuch asfootbridgeswherethereisnotmuchofagapbetweenbothsidesandlittletrafficsoyoucangettotheother side relativelyquickly. Waitinginaqueueforabusisausefulmethodtospottailsandlosethematthesametime. e. Tospotthetailletafewbusesgobytoseewhoelseiswaiting(atthebusstopornearby)particularlyuseful ifsomeonegetsonabuswithyouwhenonegoinginthesamedirectionhasalreadycalledatthebusstopor train(ifonatramsystemortheLondonUnderground). f. Tolosethem,youcansuddenlyrealisingthatabusacrosstheroadistheoneyouwantandmakingadashfor itisagoodwayoflosingatailandpotentiallyexposingthem.Alternatively,dropoutofthequeueasyouare abouttoboard. Whenyoucrossastreetdopeopleontheothersideanddoublebackintheoppositedirectiontotheoneyouwere originallytravelinginaretheirpeoplewhocrosstheroadtoavoidyouorseektoavoideyecontact? Asuddenandsignificantchangeinyourappearanceitcancausethemtogivethemselvesawayastheytrytocheckthat theyhavegottherightpersonstill.Forexample,adramaticchangeinhairstylegaveawayseveralpolicetailingone activistastheyalldiddoubletakeswhentheactivistwaspickedupatthemeetingpointtheywerestakingout. AntiSurveillance On foot it is very hard to do this discretely unless you are quite lucky with the geography of an area and crowds. Busy town centreswithlotsofalleysandbendingroadsareeasiest.Yourbestchanceistouseestablishedpatternstolullthesurveillance teamintothinkingyouareconforming,thenseizeanopportunitytodisappearelsewhere. 53

a. b.

Dontwearclothes,jewellryorhairstylethatstandoutasthesesimplyactasmarkerforthemandmeansthattheycan bemorediscreteintailingyou.Surveillanceteamsfocusalotonclothing,somakeitnondescriptandcommon. Youcanalsobringchangesofclothingandappearance(e.g.wigs)withyou.Wigsareparticularlyeffective,butonlyif theyarecuttolookgood;badlyfittingwigsonlydrawattention.Aswellaschangeofclotheshaveasecondrucksackor bagtocarrytheminavoidusingthesameonewithdifferentclothes. Somequickwaystolooseatailare: d. Dashacrossabusyroadthemomentagapappears.Usetheopportunitytodisappeardownsidestreetsorinto anybuildingwithalternativeentrances. e. Haveafriendpullinandpickyouupfromaroutewherethesurveillanceteamwillnotbefollowingyouina vehicle.Itmaybethatthiscanbedonediscretelywithyouhidinginthebackunderablanket,buttendsto workonlywheretheyarenotexpectingitandtheyarenotfamiliarwiththevehicleorthedriver. f. Get lost in a crowd a classic, but it doeswork. Factories and football matches aregood for this as well as towncentres,whichiswhyitisworthknowingtheareaifthissortofeventisapossibility. g. Shopswithmultipleand/oroutofthewayexitsaregoodforbothactivesurveillancedetection(waitnextto exitandwatchforpeoplefollowingyoubeingstartledbyyouwaitingfortheminturn)andantisurveillanceas itgetsyououtofsightlongenoughtogetaway.Thisworksbestwithshopsyoudontgointo,orifyoudo,you alwaysusethesameentranceandexit. h. Elevatorsthattakeyoutootherfloorswithexitsaregood;rememberthoughtthatthesurveillanceteamwill leavesomeoneatthegroundfloorincaseyoureturnthere. i. Placeswheretherearesecuritycheckscanworkinyourfavour,especiallywheretherearemultipleexits,as surveillanceteamswillbereluctanttosetoffalarmswiththeircommunicationsgear.Thedelaysforstopand searchalsoplayintoyourhands.

c.

Atnightbepreparedfortheincreasedusedoftechnologysuchasinfraredtomonitoryou. Tip:Havingtraveledsomewhereandthenmovedtobeingonfoot,thesurveillanceteamwillalsohaveonememberwatching yourvehicleincaseyoureturntoit. Remember,oneortwocoincidencesarenotproofyouhaveatail.Youarelookingforawholeseriesofthem.Practisingcounter surveillancetechniquesanddevelopingyourinstinctswillhelpconsiderably. Publictransport Public transport offers a variety of opportunities for detecting and evading surveillance and makes life much harder for the surveillanceteam. Aprofessionalsurveillanceteamwillattemptyourdestinationandroute,andmonitorbothaswellashavingsomeoneonthe samebusortrain.Thismeans,thatdependingonnumberstheywillseektoreachpossibleexitpointstowatchforyou.Ifitisa publictransportroutethatyouusefrequently,thenwilleitherfollowthebus(somethingyoucanwatchoutfor)orbewaitingto pickyouupatyourdestination. However, if you use public transport regularly with established getting on and off points, then this can be turned into active detectionorantisurveillancetechniquesbygettingoffearlierorlaterandcheckingforreactionstomakesureyouhavegiven them the slip. If the surveillance team has enough people then they will actually get off at earlier or later stops to avoid suspicion. Jumping off at the last moment is a useful antisurveillance technique as it forces them to lose you or expose themselves by reactingaswell. Bewareofchanceencounterswithstrangers,especiallythosewhoappeartohavesomethingincommonwithyou,wheresome sortofrapportisattempted.Publictransportisquitegoodforoneoffencounterslikethiswhichallowthemtogettoknowyou better and evaluate your mannerisms. There is nothing to stop you lying about what you do, who you are, etc. If you have coincidentalmeetingsagaininthefutureitisworthbeingsuspicious. Asyougetoffpublictransportoroutofaterminalaretheresignsofsurveillancevehicleswaitingtopickyouup. Buses Iftheydogetonthebusthentheywillgoasfartothebackaspossiblesoyouwillbekeptinsight.Apossibleactivedetection techniqueistostayonafterthelaststopandseewhoelseisdoingitwillonlyworkiftheyarenotfamiliarwiththeroute otherwisetheywillnotmakethismistake. Trains 54

a. b. c. d.

Giventhenatureoftrainsthenyouaremorelikelytohaveanumberofsurveillanceoperativesgetonandoffthetrain atthesametimeasyou. The more you change trains the more it erodes the integrity of the surveillance team. Add to this by going to the barriersasifleavingthenturningaroundandgettingbackonanothertrain. Thereareanumberofexitsforstationswhichyoucanusetoyouradvantage,dependingoncrowddensityandhow wellyoucanpushthroughthem. Agoodfeatureoftrainstations(thoughitworkswellinotherhighdensityareasofpedestrians)isthattherearestrong flowsofpeopleinonedirection.Ifyoumoveagainstthisflow,watchoutforothersdoinglikewiseandstrugglingto keepyouinsight.Asyouhavetolookasyoudothis,itisanactivedetectiontechnique.

Nightsurveillancewhileonfoot Thisisamuchdifferentsituationfromdaytimefootsurveillance.Aprofessionalteamwillbereadyforit.Amateurswillnot.At nightwhenoutanabout,youaremorelikelytoencounteragreateruseoftechnology,forexamplenightsights.Thefactthatit isdarkerandquieterworksinyourfavoursincetheyneedtogetclosertokeepyouinsightandyoucanuseyourhearingmore effectively.Atnighttheyarefarmorelikelytousevehicles,especiallywhentheweatheriscoldloiteringaroundoutsidewhen itisfreezingismuchmoreobvioustospot. Thebestwaytospotsurveillanceatnightistomonitorforvehiclesshowingsomeofthefollowingtraits 3) Drivingwithoutlights 4) Lightsgoingonandoffinstationarycars 5) Thesoundofradiotransmissions 6) Doorsslammingshutasyouapproach 7) Vehiclesparkedinunusuallocations. 8) Couplessittingincars,staringstraightaheadratherthanengagingwitheachother. 9) Sittingforprolongedtimeswiththeenginerunning. Surveillanceteamshavebeenknowntousetaxisandpolicecarsinthissituation.Ifyouknowyourareawellthenyoucanspot them by being parked in places not normally used by them. For instance, police cars do not normally hang out in welltodo estates.Taxisdonotwaitonpoorandoutofthewayestates.Peoplewaitingonfriendsatnearbyhousestendtoparkinthe lightandonthemainroadandnotinoutofthewayplacesofferingconcealment. Sometacticsthatworkbetteratnightareasfollows: a. Ifyouthinkthatsomeoneisfollowingyoulistenoutcarefullyforthesoundoftheirpace.Itwillbedonetomatchyours, soasyouspeedupandslowdown,thenitwillchangetomatch.Thisissomethingyoucanactivelyhear. b. Youhavemoreopportunitiestoconcealyourselfandwatchthereactionsofsuspecttailsastheyrealizethatyouare notinsight.Remember,thatifyouconfrontsomeonetheniftheyareinnocentandwillprettymuchreactinthesame startled way, thinking you are a mugger. However, you can get up close and ask for directions, a cigarette light, etc whichwillputthesuspecttailonthespotandgiveyouagoodchancetolookatthem,somethingtheywillreallynot like. c. Takingblindturnsatnightforcesthesurveillanceteamtoreactmoreaggressively,soagainforcingtheirhandifyouare readyforit.However,giventhedarknessthereisapossibilitytheywillreactmoreconfidentlyiftheythinktheyhave theupperhand. Tip:Becauseitismuchquieteratnightityoubecomefarmoreawareofsoundsthatoccurnaturallyanditiseasytosuspect everysound.Inthissortofsituationwaituntilyouhaveactualvisualconfirmationratherthansuspectingjustnoises.

7.3RuralSurveillance
This is significantly harder to detect as the surveillance team will in general furtheraway and there is much greater scope to hide,especiallyiftherearethickwoodsnearby.Asurveillanceteamwill Wearadaptivecamouflage. Bepreparedforalongstayifnecessary. Useinfraredandlongrangebinocularsandscopes. Putmotiondetectorcamerasinjunk,treesandnearbystructures. Takemeasurestohidethefacttheyweretheresuchasdealingwithbentgrassanddepressions. Thingstocheckforare a. Repeatedglintsoffbinocularsfromwoodsorcopses. 55

b. c. d. e. f.

Abandonedbuildingswheretheyareusingtohidevehicles. Transmissionsfromcameras. Flattenedgrassanddepressions;alsovehicletrackswheretheyshouldntbe. Identifypotentialobservationpointsfromyourlocationandregularlycheckthemitmaydiscouragethesurveillance teamfromusingthemorgettingtooclose. Walkinaneverwideningcircle,lookingforplacesofconcealmentfocusingonplacessuchastreelines,copses,thick bushes/hedgeswhichhaveaviewofthetargetarea.

Havingdogsaroundtheplaceareparticularlyeffective,andtoalesserdegreemotiondetectorlights,thoughthisdependson howcoverttheoperationis.

7.4Countersurveillance
This is a phrase often used in the wrong context. It actually means using another team to monitor a target with the aim of detectingwhetherthereisasurveillanceteamonthemornot.Asecondgroupofpeopleismuchmoreeffectivethanthetarget atspottingsurveillanceteamsastheywillhavebetterlinesofvision. The trick to this is to set up a check route, also known as a surveillance detection route. In this the target and the counter surveillance team plan out a route with gives the countersurveillance team to set up in advance and able to watch for the surveillanceteamfollowingthetarget.Itisbestdoneonfootroutesastherearebetteropportunitiesformonitoring. Itisasimpleideabutitrequiresconsiderableplanningtobeproperlyeffectiveasthereareanumberofpitfallsfortheactivist: Thesurveillanceteammaybeawareofwhoyourfriendsaresowillbeabletorecognizetheirfaces;ifengaginginthis sortofoperation,considersomesortofchangeofyournormalappearanceordisguise. Thesecurityaroundthesetupneedstobeverytightifyouaremeetinguptoplanit,themeetingneedstobetightso thatthesurveillanceteamdoesntgetwindoftheideasobeprepared. Thecountersurveillanceteamneedstobeabletomoveswiftlyanddiscretely;thisincludeshandsignalsthatarenot tooquicksootherscanpickthemup(eg,outstretchedhandsasopposedtoaquickscratchofthechin). However,itisimportantthatthisisnotdoneinawaythatalertsthesurveillanceteamthatthereisasecondteamalsoworking. If the surveillance team thinks that it is under surveillance the chances are that they will discretely withdraw and come back anotherdayinstead. Intheorytherewillbenocontactbetweenthetargetandthecountersurveillanceteam;however,havingafriendmeetingyou andstoppingtohaveaquickchatoffersbothtargetandfriendtoscanthesurroundingareaforsuspects.

7.5Blatantsurveillance
Muchofwhathasbeensaidalsoappliestobeingchased.Whereitdoesnotapplytowhenbeingfollowedbysomeonerather obviouslyprimarilytointimidateormakeactionsdifficultasinmasspublicactions.Inthiscaseyousimplyhavetogivethemthe slip.Beunpredictable,usepublictransportandsometimesjustrun(thatisnotillegalsoitisnotgroundstostopyou,though thatmaynotbotherthem).Itdependsonthesituations,whetheryoupubliclyburnthemtopeoplearoundyou,ordiscretely losethem. Theotherapproachistobecompletelyinnocuoussuchashavingacoffeeorapintorsimplyshopping.Havingtowanderaround thefemaleunderwearsectionofashopputsmostpeopleoffespeciallyifanddosomethingyouconfronttheminasocially embarrassingway.

8.ComputerSecurity&InternetPrivacy
Adetailedguidetocomputersecurityisanentirehandbookinitself,andoncepublishedwouldpromptlybeoutofdate.Though thesecurityissuesarenotmovingasfastastheyhavebeen,thetechnologyisalwayschanging.Manyoftheoldguidelinesare simplyoutdatednowandbecominglittlebetterthanmyths. Neverthelesstherearesomepointersthatholdthroughandyoushouldbeimplementing.Welistthesebelow.Asabasicsecure systemwerecommendacomputerrunningUbuntu/DebianLinuxusingtheFirefoxinternetbrowserandThunderbirdforemail. EmailshouldbeencryptedasmuchaspossibleusingacombinationofEnigmailwithGPG(afreewareversionoftherenowned cryptographicprogrammePGPPrettyGoodPrivacy).Finally,usediskencryptiontoprotectyoursensitivedata.Foranonymous webbrowsinginstalltheTorsoftwaresuiteandtheFoxyProxyaddonforFirefox.That'sitinanutshell. ThoughwearegenerallybroughtuptouseWindowsasthebasicoperatingsystemforourcomputers,thereareotheroptions outthere,andfromasecuritypointofviewtheyarewaybetter.AppleMacsarebetterthanWindows,butLinuxisthebest,in 56

particularuserfriendlydistributionsbasedonDebiansuchasUbuntu.ThewayLinuxissetupmakesitinherentlymoresecure thanWindows/Macsanditisnotasuserunfriendlyasitoncewas. EvenifyouarenotpreparedtomakethemoveawayfromWindowsorMacs,muchofthesoftwarewerecommend (Thunderbird,Firefox,etc)comesavailablefortheseoperatingsystems,andisagoodstepforward.Theyareallfreeaswell.You mayhavetodoabitofresearchbutthesoftwarehascomeonleapsandboundsinthelasttenyearsintermsofusabilityand easeofinstall. Aproblemwithcomputersisthattheirgutstendtoworkinstrangewaysandyoudonotknowwhattheyareuptoallthetime. Inparticulartheystoreinformationinoddplaces,unencryptedinswapspacesandsoon.Theprecautionaryprincipleisalways best. Allofthistechnologyisfreeandrelativelyeasytoinstallthesedayswithalittlebitofwork.

8.1Generaltips
h. i. IfrunningWindows/Mac,installvariousantivirus/antimalware/firewallssoftware.Thiscanbedoneindividuallyor thereareprogrammesthatdomostofthis(eg.AVG,Norton,etc).Noneofthisisworthanythingifyoudonotkeepit uptodate,soensurethatyourLiveUpdatefeaturesareenabledandworkingcorrectly.Donotopenoranswerspam. Therearemanyonlinesiteswhichgiveuptodateadviceonthebasicsofsecurityyourcomputersocheckthemout first. Login.Itisalwaysgoodtohaveausernameandpasswordforyourcomputer.Thiswillnotstopthosewhoare determinedtobreakintoyourcomputerasitiseasyenoughtobootaroundthem;however,itwillslowdown considerablythecausalspyorothernosyindividuals.Itisworthcreatingmultipleaccountsonyourcomputerforthe differentaspectsyouuseitfor,soitisnotclearwhichis Turnyourcomputeroff!Neverleaveyourcomputeronandunattended,openforeveryonetouse.Ifgoingawayfora shorttime,thenusethescreenlockfeature(considerhavinganautomaticlockifthecomputerisunusedforsaymore thanfiveminutes).Anythinglongerorovernight,thenmakesuretoturnitoffproperly.Thereisnopointinbeing raidedandvariousdubiousinformationandpasswordsarecachedinacomputertheynowhavecompleteaccessto. Forsimilarreasons,itisbettertopowerdownyourcomputerratherthanpanicandpulltheplugsocket,especially whereyouhavediskencryption. MultipleUsers.Iftherearemorethanoneofyouusingthecomputercreatemultipleaccountssotheycannotseeyour work.Itisalsoworthcreatingunaccreditedaccountsingeneralnamesforsensitiveworksoitisnotinanyone'sname. Passwords.Chosepasswordsthatareeffective,Passwordprotectedcomputersarenotsecuretotheprepared infiltratorsoencryptionofanythingsensitiveisamust. i Donotbasethemonthenamesoffamily,petsordatesofbirth. ii Includenondictionarywordsorsequencesofletters/numberswhichareessentiallyrandom. iii Really sensitive material shouldbe protected with passphrases ofa minimum of16characters from the entirerangeavailableincludingupperandlowercases,numbersandanypermittedsymbols. iv Changethemonaregularbasis. v Do not write them down and stick them under your chair or desk these are the first places that an intruderwilllook. vi ThePhysicalSetup.Considertheexternalthreatstoyourcomputer.Coulditeasilybepickedupandwalkedout.Given howmanycomputersareseizedasimplesolutiontoimpedthisistohaveitchaineddowntoadeskorwall.Becareful aboutthescreenfacingwindowscouldsomeonewithagoodcamera/binocularsreadwhatyouaretyping.Itisbestto havecomputersfacingawayfromwindows,andiftypingsensitivestuffkeepcurtainsclosed. Wireless.Theproblemwithwirelessisthatittransmitsinalldirectionsatonce,soanyoneabletointerceptyoursignals canseewhatyouaredoing.Thisgoesforkeyboardsaswellasrouters,sowerepossiblewerecommendusingcableto connectupthevariouspartsofyourmachine.Ifcableisnotanoption,thenmakesurethattheencryptiononyour wirelessisuptothejobalotofencryptionstandardsbeingusedsuchasWEPcaneasilybebroken. Therearealotofrumoursandmythsincomputersecurity,moresothaninotherareasofsecurity.Mostcanbe discountedbasedonpoorunderstandingoftheunderlyingsoftwareorsimplescaremongering.Ifindoubtcheckout 57 Keepyourcomputeruptodate,installingthelatestornexttolatestversionsofsoftware.Makesureyouaredoingthis regularly.

j.

k.

l. m.

n.

o.

p.

reputablesources,butdonotstopusingsomethingsimplybecauseafriendofafriendofafriendoncereadanarticle, etc. q. Opensourcesecuritysoftwareisgenerallymoretrustedthanproprietarysoftwarebecausethecodeisfreelyavailable. Thismeansthatitcanbepeerreviewedandcheckedforflaws/bugsinatransparentway.Thereisalsoagoodhistoryof wherethereareflawsofmakingupdatesavailablefaster.

8.2Encryption
Encryptionistheprocessofencodingyourdatasothatonlyyouorothersthatyouhaveselectedcanopenit.Itcomesinmany varieties,butthereisonlyonewerecommendatthemomentandthatisthepairedpublicprivatekeymethodasusedinthe renownedPGPprogrammeandothers. Inthistypeofencryption,youcreateapairofkeys,apubliconewhichyoucangivetoanyoneelseandaprivatekey.Thepublic keyisusedtoencrypttheinformationforyoureyes;however,itcannotdecryptit.Inordertodothat,youneedthe correspondingprivatekey. Theprivatekeyyouneversee,itiskeptonyourcomputersecurelylockedupbehindanotherlayerofencryptionwhichcanonly beaccessedbyapassphrasewhichonlyyouknow. Thismeanssome,includingyourself,canencryptstuffforyoureyesusingyourpublickey,butnobodyelsecanseeitotherthan yourself.Itisatriedandtestedsystemandisknowntoworkverywell.Suggestionsthatitcanbecrackedbycomputersareway offbaseeverythingcanbecrackedeventually,butonlyifyouhaveallexistingcomputingpowerintheworldrunningonthe problemforseveralbillionyears.Itsnotgoingtohappen. Themainweaknessisthehumanoneitisonlyasgoodaslongasyourpassphraseisundiscovered,soitisvitalthatyoudonot writeitdownorchosesomethingrelativelyeasytoguess.Ifyouareexchangingemailswithotherpeoplethenitisevenmore importantyougetthisrightasifyouarebeingsloppyonyourpasswordthenyouareputtingthematrisk.Asnoted,minimumof 16charactersdrawnfromupper/lowercases,numbersandsymbols,preferablyincludingnondictionarywordsandrandom patternsinit.Makesureyoucanrememberitasifyouforgetit,thenyoudonotgetyourdataback. TherecommendedandstandardencryptionpackageisPGP(PrettyGoodPrivacywww.pgp.com)whichiswellestablishedand hassustainedthetestoftime.Weknowofknowsuccessfulattempttobreakitsintrinsically,thoughitcanbebrokenbypoor implementationorusingweakpassphrases,thoughboththeseareissueswecandosomethingabout.Aswellasagood passphrase,itisalsoworthchoosingakeythatisasstrongaspossiblewerecommendakeylengthof4096,whichwilldefeat anyattemptstocrackitbybruteforce.ThisiswhyorganisationssuchasMI6usePGP,andtheUSgovernmentspentalotof timetryingtostopitspreadingworldwide. PGPisnolongerfreeopensoftware,thougholderversionswhicharecanstillbedownloadedfromwww.pgpi.com.However,an openstandardknownasGnuPrivacyGuard(GPG)hasbeendevelopedandcanbedownloadedfromwww.gnupg.org.InLinuxit needstobeusedinconjunctionwithaninterfacesuchasGPAorSeahorse.PGP/GPGwillencryptbothemailsandfiles.Forthe former,seebelow.Thekeysusedbybothprogrammesareinstandardformatandcanbeusedbyeachothersoavoiding problemswithincompatibility. AgoodguidewithimagestosettingupPGPinWindowsisatwww.shac.net/pgp.index.html Tip1:ItisgoodpolicytochangeyourGPGkeysonaregularbasissayonceeverysixmonths.Thismeansthatevenifonekeyis compromisedtherestofyourmaterialisnot.Thoughifyouhavearchivesremembertokeepabackupofyouroldkeyoryou loseitall. Tip2:Alternatively,onewaytomakesurethatnoonecanaccessyourdataistodestroyyourprivatekeys.Ifthesedonotexist thenitisimpossibletounlockit,byyouroranyoneelse.

8.3DataManagement
Onceyouhavesetyourcomputeruptobesecureyournextjobistoconsiderhowyouaremanagingthepersonalandsensitive dataonit.Ideally,youwillhavethisbehindpasswordprotectedaccounts.However,itisnotenoughtostopthereasifyour computerisseizedthenthisiseasilycircumvented. a) Allsensitiveinformationshouldbeencrypted(seenextsection)withGPGorPGPlevelencryption. b) Sensitiveinformationideallyiskept(encrypted)onamemorystickorportableharddrivewhichisstoredelsewhere fromyourcomputer.Itsbeenknowninraidsforpolicetonotrecognisesuchhardwareastheyfocusonstealing activist'scomputers. 58

c)

Makebackupsofyourencryptionkeysandimportantdataandstorethemsomewhereotherthanyourhousethatis notlikelytoberaidedorstumbledacross.Thereisnopointhavingyourinformationinyourhouseifitisonlygoingto beseizedaswell.Likewise,nopointhavingencryptedfilesifyoudonothavethekeystodecryptthem(evenifyouget yourcomputerbackthepolicemightdeleteyourkeys).Ideally,youwillhavebackupsofyourkeysinoneplaceandyour datasomewhereelse. Ausefultipistocompactyourfilesintoanarchivebeforeencryptingthemthismeansisthatevenifthestategets accesstoyourfilestheycannotevenreadthenamesofthefiles,ordiscernwhatsortofstuffmightbeinthem. Itisbesttohaveyourencryptionkeysstoredonamemorystickandnotyourcomputer. WindowsandMacsallowfilestoberecoveredasthedeletefunctiononlypartiallyremovesthemfromthecomputer. Theyalsostorebitsoffilesindifferentpartsofthememory.Thismeansoldfilescanbeextractediftheyaresimply senttothetrash.Togetaroundthisyouneedtowipefilesusingadedicatedprogrammetoensurefilesareproperly removedfromyourharddrive.Theseprogrammesoftenhavesettingsforthenumberofoverwriteswhicherasethe datathisshouldbesettobetween7and9;anymoreisoverkillandmorelikelytodrasticallyshortenthelifeofthe harddrive.Discountrumoursthatsayyouneedtodomorethanthis.Aswellaswipingfilesdirectly,itisalsogoodto dofreespacewipesonaweeklyormonthlybasistomakesureallfloatingfragmentsofdataareremoved. Thebestsolutionistousediskencryption.Thissoftwareallowspartorallofyourharddrive(orotherstoragemedia)to beencryptedandcomeshighlyrecommended.Itmeanswhenyourcomputerisseizedthentheycannotaccessthe dataonitatall.Ithelpseliminateproblemswithfilefragmentsanddeletionthathaverecentlycometolightinvarious cases.Twofreediskencryptiontoolsareatwww.truecrypt.organdwww.freeotfe.orgTakeyourtimetounderstand howthissoftwareworks. Doregularcleanupsgetridoforsecurelyarchiveincriminatingstuffyoudonotneed,evenifitisencryptedonyour harddrive.Deleteoldemailsasamatterofcourse.

d) e)

f)

g)

8.4SecurityacrosstheInternet
Aswithcomputerstheinternetandthesecurity/privacyissuesrelatedtoithavechangeddramaticallyovertheyears.Some thingshaveremainedthesame,whichboildowntothatifyoudonottakecaretoobscureyourtracksorencryptyourdatathen itremainsopenforawholehostofpeopletoaccess. Monitoringinternetactivityisastrivialasitiswithphones.Allinternettraffic,whetheremails,instantmessagingorweb browsinginvolvessendingdatathroughvariousserversandatanypointinbetweenthiscanbepickedupandread.Duetothe natureofthenetwork,everycomputeronlinehasaddresses(knownasIPaddresses),whicheveniftheyaretemporary,canbe combinedwiththelogsofInternetServiceProviders(ISPs)toidentifypeople.IntheUKandelsewheregovernmentsare requiringISPstokeeplogsofactivityandemailsforsixmonths,soeverythingyouaredoingisnotonlybeingwatchedbut recordedaswell. Thebasicmessageisthatunlessyouaretakingprecautions,youneedtoassumethateverythingyouareiswatchedandopento beingmonitored. 8.4.1Email 8.4.1.1EncryptedEmails Emailisassecureassendingapostcardunlessitisencrypted.Asalreadynotedabove,werecommendonlyusingGPGorPGP, thoughfortherestofthissectionwewillonlydiscussthefree,openGPGversion WhenusingyourhomecomputertheEnigmailtoolallowsittointegrateseamlesslywithThunderbirdforeaseofsending encryptedemail.Dependingonyoursetupitcanalsointegratewithotheremailprogrammes.AusefulfeatureinWindowsis havingPGPintheWindowsSystemsTray(normallyatthebottomrighthandsideofthescreen)whichallowsyoutoencrypt clipboardtextincludingthemessagesinwebmailpages. However,GPGisonlyasstrongastheweakestpassphrasesotakecareifthepersonwhoyouarecommunicatingwithisnot usingastrongpassphraseorhasacompromisedmachinethenyou'reemailstothatpersonarevulnerable,soevenifyouare usingencryptiontakecarewhatyouaresaying.Forhighlysensitivediscussions,GPGisbestforsettingupsecurefacetoface meetingswereyoucantakeotherprecautionstoensureyourprivacy. OnefearisthatusingGPG/PGPmarksyououtassomeonewhoneedstobemonitored,sothereforeitissafernottouseit. Unlessyouhaveneverappearedonthestatesradarandhasneverconnectedwithsomewhois,andarecarefulnottosay anythingthatmighttriggersomethemonitoringsoftware,thenthisisafalsepremise.Itismoreimportantthatindividualsget 59

usedtousingencryptionsoftwareforeventrivialthingssothatthosewhodependonitsprivacyareabletouseitascover. Usingencryptionsoftwareforemailsisnotillegalinmostcountries. 8.4.1.2OtherEncryptionSolutions Thereareotherprotocolsforprotectingtheprivacyofemails.InmodernemailprogrammesthereareoptionsforusingSSLor TLStosendemails.Thesemeanthattheemailsyousendtoyouremailserverareencrypted.Theproblemisthatoncetheyleave theserveronthewaytosomewhereelsetheybackagaininplaintext. Sayingthis,thereisamovenowtowardssomethingcalledSmartTLSwhichallowsforendtoendencryptionbetweenemail serverssonoemailiseversentinplaintext.Thishasnowbeenadoptedbymanyoftheactivisttechcollectives,soemailfrom, say,ariseup.netemailaccounttooneatmutualaid.orgwillbefullyencryptedalltheway. 8.4.1.2EmailIdentities Mostprogrammesallowyoutosetupmultipleaccountstosendmessagesfrom,soyoucanusedifferentidentitiesfor communicatingwithpeople.Thiswillnotconfusethesecurityserviceswhocantrackyouviatheheadershiddeninallemails, however,itisoftenusefulforapproachingcompaniesordoingresearch. Remember,youdonothavetogiveyourrealnameorotherdetails.Useothernames/createseparateidentitiesformailing lists,etc,butifyouaresettingupseparateidentitiesdonotcompromiseyourselfbyusingoneswhichclearlylinkbackto yourself. Itisalwaysworthavoidingemailsthatlinkyouinwithparticularcampaignsorsetoutyourpoliticstoomuchthinkhowyour emailaddresswouldlooktoajudge? 8.4.1.3Webmail Otheroptionsaretousewebmailonlyasthismeansthereislittlestoredonyourcomputertolinkyoudirectlytotheemail account,thoughanyemailwilllogtheIPaddressofthecomputeritwassentfromwhichmaylinkbacktoyou.Thisisabetter optionforpubliccomputers. Aproblemwithalotofwebmailaccounts,eg.HotmailorYahoo,isthatonlytheinitialpartisencrypted,thebitwhereyoulog in.Afterthatitisnolongerencryptedandopenforotherstomonitorit.However,manyoftheactivisttechcollectiveswho provideemailservicesareprovidingfullyencryptedemailsessionstohelpdealwiththis. WenotethatRiseUp.netnowallowsyoutoencryptyourmessagesusingPGPviawebmail.Thisisaverynicestepforwardasit allowsyoutousePGPfrompubliccomputerswhichwasawkwardinthepast.PGPmessagescanbesentfromotherwebmail accountsviapubliccomputers,butoftenyouneedtocreatethemessageathome,encryptandsaveittoaUSBstickorfloppy, andtakeitwithyoutoacomputerwhichcouldacceptremovablemediasuchasthis. DonotrelyonHushmail;theirclaimsthatnoteventheirstaffcanaccesstheiremailsisnottrueasthefollowingarticle demonstrates:http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/11/08/hushmail_court_orders/Hushmailhasprovideddecryptedemailsin responsetoacourtorder.Moredetailaboutthisriskandit'sextentcanbefoundhere: http://breakallchains.blogspot.com/2007/11/hushmailopentofedswithcourtorders.htmlItdoesnothelpeitherthat Hushmail'ssoftwareisalsosecretsousersarestilltrustingtheirclaimsasregardstosecurity. However,Hushmaildoesstillhaveitsusesinsendingoneoffemailsandalsofordeadletterdropsduetotheencrypted connectionstoitsservers. Theoldremailersystemisprettydeadthesedaysorcompromised,sadly. 8.4.1.4DeadLetterDrops Theseareanadaptionofanolderformofcommunication.Aemailaccountissetupandthedetailssharedbyhandbetweena groupofpeople.Logginginfrompubliccomputers,youcanleavemessagesandfilesforeachotherinthedraftsfolderwithout everhavingtoactuallysendemails. Itcanstillbeopeningformonitoring,butiftherearenoreasonstoattractattentionandnobodyusesotherpeoplesnamesthen itisafairlysecuremethodofcommunication.Remembertodeleteoldmaterialoncedealtwith,andifcompromisedsomeone willhavetodeletethecontentsaltogether. 8.4.2AnonymousWebbrowsing Aswithemail,yourIPaddressidentifiesyoutoeverywebsiteyouarevisitingandtoanyonewatchinginbetweenunlessyou takestepstoanonymizeyourbrowsing. 60

Aswithemailsthewayforwardistohaveencryptedconnectionsbetweenyouandtherestoftheworld.Youknowyouareon anencryptedconnectionifthewebaddressstartshttps://ratherthanhttp://.Themoreuptodatebrowsersshowifyouare accessingasecuredwebsitebylittleiconsinthebottomlefthandcorner(highlightedkey,closedpadlocketc)orbycolouringin thewebaddressline.Toseewhatyourbrowserlookslikecheckwhathappenswhenyoulogintoawebmailaccount. Fromhome,thesafestwayistouseaproxywithencryptedconnectionsthesearecomputersthatstandbetweenyouandthe restoftheinternetsotheendpagesonlyseethelastinterveningcomputerandnotyou.Thesimplewaytodothisistousethe Torsystemseewww.torproject.org.Wewillnotgointothedetailsofhowthisworkshere,otherthantosaythatisawidely usedsystemforprotectingprivacyofthoseusingtheinternetandthemorewhouseitthebetter. TogowiththisthereisaFirefoxaddoncalledFoxyProxywhichsimplifiesmattersconsiderably. However,youstillhavetheproblemthatifsomeonehasaccesstoyourcomputeralreadyviakeyloggers,etctheycanstillbe watchingeverythingyoudo.Likewise,ifyouaredoingpersonalstuffatthesametime,egloggingintoyoureasilyidentifiable emailaccountsthenyouarealsogivingyourselfaway. Thereareanumberofsolutionssuchasonlinesitesthatletyoubrowsesthroughthem,buttheyaregenerallyverylimitedin usefulnessmostwillnotletyouusewebmailordonothaveencryptedconnections,soalltheyareusefulisforvisitingwebsites whichyoudonotwanttheendusertoknowyourIPaddress.Todomoreyouhavetopaywhichdefeatsthepurposeof anonymity.Torwilldothisandmorewithoutputtingyouinthehandsofdubiouscompaniesrunningtheanonymizingwebsites, forfree. Formoreseriousstuffitisstillrecommendedyoufindapubliccomputersomewhere. 8.4.3PublicSpaces Internetcafes,publiccomputersandHotSpotsareallusefulplacestobrowsetheweborsendemailsfrom.Manyhavepoor loggingormonitoring,andlargecomputerarraysmakeithardertopinpointpeople.Storingstuffonlineinanonymousaccounts canbeagoodwayofprotectingyourdataandyourselfbyhavingnothinginyourhomeensurethoughthatyouareusing encryptedcommunicationsasmuchaspossible. However,theydohavesomerisksassociatedwiththem: a) CCTViscommoninmanypublicplacesandinternetcafes.Adoptthetechniquesnotedpreviouslyforhandlingit,such asbaseballcaps,notlookingup,etc. b) Largerplaceswillkeeprecordsofactivityontheircomputers;orhavesystemadminswhocanreadeverythingyouare doingonthecomputer.Boredstaffhavebeenknowntoreadandcongratulatepeoplewritingupactionreports c) Watchoutforpeoplebehindyoureadingoveryourshoulder. d) Givethemousseandkeysaquickwipedownwhenyouarefinished,andpayincash. Sometipstoincreaseyoursecurityusingpublicspaces: (i) Withinternetcafesselectthosethatarenotpartofalargerchain.Oftensmallplacesinareaswithlargeconcentrations ofmigrantsaregoodplacestogoto. (ii) WhenusingHotSpotsforWiFiaccessselectareassuchastrains,cafe'sofferingfreeservicesforincreasedanonymity. AgainbeawareofCCTVinsideandoutside.Ifusingyourownlaptopchangetheidentifierforthesession,thenchangeit backagain. (iii) Ifdoingsensitivestuff,donotsendpersonalemailsatthesametime,orlogintoaccountsconnectedtoyouoryouwill compromisetheanonymityofyoursessions. 8.4.5PublishingWebsites Acommonquestionishowtopublishwebsitessafely.Itisnoteasyunlessyouarepreparedtothrowmoneyattheissue.The expensivesolutionistobuyspaceonsomeoftheforeignhostedservicesthatarefocusedonprivacysonothingisever registeredinyourname. Aproblemofdoingstuffyourselfbuthavingyourwebsitehostedabroadisthatyoumaystillbeliable,dependingonthelawsof yourjurisdiction,forthecontentsofthewebsiteasitspublisher.Also,ifyouropponentsbringalawsuitagainstyouintheplace whereyourwebsiteishostedyouaregoingtofinditverydifficulttodefend. 61

Acheaperandeasierwaytodoitistouseonlinebloggingservicessuchaswordpress.comwhichhaveagoodrecordofcivil liberties(thoughtheyalsooftenhostassholesaswell).Advantagesofdoingthisisthatwebsitescanbeeditedandcreatedin internetcafeswithouteverhavingtodoitathome.However,itgivesyoumuchlesscontroloverthedesignofthewebsite. Atthesametimehaveacolleagueinanothercountrybuythedomainname(ieyourname.com,etc)andhaveitredirectedto thewebsiteeverytimeitgetstakendown.Youcanhaveyourwebsitemirroredinawholerangeofdifferentplaces,andallyou havetodoischangewerethedomainnamearound,whichisfareasier.Useagooglemailaccounttogowithit,orsomething similar.Freeonlinehostingservicesareuseful,butonthewholetheyarefairlyweakwhenitcomestoresistinglegalchallenges. Ifyouneedsomethingmorestableandthatdoesnotgetblockedsomuchbywebfilteringsoftware,thenlookathostingin Holland,Sweden,Canadaorsomeofthefareasterncountries,andasksomeoftheactivisttechcollectivesthatareavailable. Beawarethoughthatforeignhostedsitesarenotimmunetotheforcesofthelawvarioustreatiesmeanthatpoliceinonce countrycanactonbehalfofthoseinothersintakingdownservers.

8.5Conclusion
Computersandtheinternetaregreattoolsthathavetransformedactivismimmensely.Ontheotherhandtheyarehitech solutionsthatcarrymanyrisksaswell.Makesurethatyousetyourcomputeruprightandspendtimegettingtoknowit. Moderncomputersarefastenoughthatmostsecuritymeasureswillnotimpactontheirperformance,butbepreparedforsome glitchesandslownessitisoneofthepricestopayforknowingyouaresafe.Itonlytakesoneslipuptostartcompromising everythingasduetoeverythingbeingrecordedontheinternetthereisfarlessslackinthesystemtoslipthrough.Especiallyas privateinvestigatorsandthepolicearebecomingfarmoreclueduponcomputerforensics.Inthelastcoupleofyearstherehas beenapronouncedgrowthinthestate'sgeneralexperienceinhandlingcomputersandknowingwhattolookfor. Aseriousdangerwithcomputersare"keyloggers".Thesecanbebothsoftwareandhardwarewhichrecordeverythingyoudo, andcanbeprogrammedtolookoutforstuffsuchaspasswords,creditcardnumbers,etc.TheFBIusedthesetorecordthePGP passphraseofamemberoftheMafiaandthusbreakintohisemails(onereasonforchangingkeysandpassphrasesregularly). However,ifitgetstothissortoflevelthenyouneedtoberethinkingyoursecurityandyourrelationshipwithyourhome computer.

9.UKLegalIssues
Thefirstimportantthingtorememberisthatitisnotillegaltoprotectyourprivacyoryoursecurity.Acourtorpolicemaydraw theirownconclusionsonyourbehaviour,butthereisnolawtostopyoutakingpreventativemeasures. Likewise,itisnotillegaltokeepyouractionsanonymous,whethersendinglettersoremails,orattendingprotests.Whatcould beillegalarethecontentsandintentionofthemessage/protest. Knowyourlawitwillkeepyoufromgettingconvicted(ifnotarrested)andbyknowingyourrightsyoucanprotectyourself muchbetterwhenyouareapproachedbythepolice,orbeingsearched(bothpersonally&athome).Foruptodateinformation on the state of play with law in England and Wales visit www.freebeagles.org or www.activistslegalproject.org.uk. If you are basedinScotlandthenthelawisdifferentcheckout http://g8legalsupport.info/2005/03/08/anactivistsguidetoscotslawandwww.tridentploughshares.org.uk Keep an eye on forensic issues & standards of evidence in court. This can be picked up from news stories of high profile convictionsandalsowebsites.Knowingthiswillinformhowyoudecidewhenbalancinguprisks.

9.1RegulationofInternetPowersAct(RIPA)
AfterseveralyearsofdelaytheUKHomeOfficehasnowenactedSection49oftheRIPA,wherebythepolicecandemandthe passwordstoyourcomputerandanyencryptiontechniquesyouareusinginordertoreadyourdata.Failuretoprovidethem couldintheoryresultinafiveyearprisonsentence.Anumberofpeoplehavebeenchangedwithnotsurrenderingthedetails thoughnotanypoliticalactiviststhatweareawareoftoday.Ofthosechargedwearenotawareofanytrialhavingtakenplace atthetimeofwriting. Inpracticeitispotentiallyunworkableasitishardforthemtoprovethatyouhavenotactuallyforgottenit: throughthelapseintimesinceyoulastusedit; asyourpasswordwasfiendishlyhardtorememberinthefirstplace; fromthetraumaoftheraidwhenyourcomputerswereseized. Thisissuehasyettorunitscoursesoitisnotyetpossibletostatethefalloutfromthis.Wethinkthelawremainsopentobeing challengedinthehighercourtswhereitmightconflictwiththeHumanRightsAct,andbothpracticallyandonpointofprinciple itisworthactivistsrefusingtosurrendertheirpasswords.

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10.Talkingtoothersaboutsecurity
Itisimportanttodiscusssecurityinyourgroup.Youneedtomakesurethatyouraffinitygroupororganisationcanbetrustedto lookafteritself,andthatweaknessesareminimisedaccordingtothethreatyouarelikelytoface.However,thereareseveral pitfallshereyouneedtowatchoutfor. I. Ifyougooverthetop,thenyouriskputtingpeopleoff,scaringthemorotherwisedisempoweringthem.Encourage people in your group, especially those less experienced than yourself, to think about their security needs, and how lapses in security can affectother peoplebutdont enforce withoutexplanation.Bewary of letting a moresecure thanthou competitive attitude develop as in a group as that is very offputting; likewise with installing a paranoid mindsetratherthananactiveone. As you develop the security mindset, it is easy to lose understanding about how people who are new to the scene think.Donotoppressthemforgettingthingswrong,butdosuggestwheretheycanmakechanges.Explaintothem why you carry out certain processes, and encourage them to ask questions otherwise theyll never learn and you couldbejeopardisingyourself.Dontpanicifnewpeoplestartaskingaboutsecurityandotherissues;itshowpeople learnanddevelop.Ifyouarenotgoingtoprovideananswer,explainwhywithoutbeingcondescending. II. Ifyouseeasecuritylapseinsomeoneelse,thereareseveralwaysofdealingwithit: 1. Bringitupasageneralpointatameetinginasensitivemannerwithoutparticularlynamingandshaming.Thishas the advantage of reminding others of their responsibilities as well. Shouting and ranting is not beneficial to anyone. 2. Takethepersonasideandexplainyourconcerns,explainingthatyoufeeluncomfortableandwhy.Inparticular, say that it is you who feels at risk. If they do not sympathize with you they are less likely to pay heed to your requestthattheyimprovetheirsecuritysoletthemknowthatyouwillhaveproblemswithworkingwiththemin thefuture.Youcanalsoaskotherswhomtheymayhavehigherrespectfortoalsoapproachthem. III. Dont boast about your own security precautions. Security by obscurity is not a sensible approach; however, using obscureideastoimproveonyoursecurityisausefultechnique,butonlyworksaslongasitremainsobscure. Bewareofyourownegoonthisone.Youcansuggesttechniquesingeneral,buttheactualbitofcleverness,keepthat to yourself. For example, if you use Finnish for your password, you can maybe say that you use a difficult foreign language;justdontsaywhichone. IV. Dontgivebadadvice,ormakethingsupratherthanappearignorant.Securitycanchangequiterapidly,especiallywith scary developments like RFID chips, improved biometric techniques, etc, so if you dont know the answer then it is bettertosayso,thantoleadsomeoneintoafalsesenseofsecurity. V. Watchoutforpeoplewhoarenotactingassecurelyastheyclaimtobe;thequestionthenisiftheyarepreparedtolie overonebitofsecurity,thenwhatelsearetheyallowingtolapse.Givethemachancetochange,butiftheydont, thentakeprecautionstoensurethattheydonotendupcompromisingyou. Allthisaside,justbecausesomeoneisnotatyourlevelofsecurityitdoesnotmeanyoushouldnevertrustthem.Theymaynot knowalltheinsandoutsyet.Anaction,especiallyalowlevelone,canbeanidealtimetoteachbyexampleupandcoming activistswhattheyneedtobedoing,whileatthesametimeactuallydoingsomethingtojustifyitall.

11.Futureshocks
Astechnologydevelops,therewillbeadvancementsinmethodsofforensics,ofbiometricidentificationofpeople,andalsoin trackingdevices.Thesearethethreemainworriesactivistshaveintermsofsecurity.However,thereareprosandconshere, anddontbelievethehype. Biometricrecognitiontechniquessuchasfacerecognitiontechnologyareprovingnottobeasgoodasclaimed.Withface recognition,theproblemisthattherearetwomanyfalsepositives,thatis,toomanypeoplearebeingpickedoutaspossible suspectscomparedtotheactualnumberofsuspectsthereis.Thissomewhatcontradictorysituationmeansthatnotasmuchis gainedfromthistechnologyashopedasusersofithavetospendasmuchtimedealingwiththefalsepositivesasfollowingup onthegenuineleads. Sayingthat,CCTVisimprovingwidelyinqualityandalsoindistribution,andnowbeginningtoincludemicrophones. 63

Thepolicedonothaveallthetechnologytheymakeouttohave.IntheUK,technologycomesthroughanonpublicbodycalled thePITO(PoliceInformationTechnologyOrganisationwww.pito.org.uk),whichevaluatesandbuysinnewtechnologyforthe policetouse.Sowhenitistrumpetedthatthepolicehaveanewtechnology,whatitreallymeansisthatthePITOhavegotit, andnotnecessarilyindividualpoliceforces.Theyhavebudgetstoadhereto,sotrytobuyinthestufftheyreallyneed,meaning alotofthefancyhitechstuffisactuallyignoredbythemajorityofforces. Themainchangesofrelevancetoactivistsare: g. Improvedforensicscatchingtracesthatwouldhavebeenmissedonmaterials,etcpreviously. h. Improveddataexchangebetweenpoliceorganisationsandbetweenthepoliceandvariousotherkeepersofpersonal informationsuchasbanks.Thisalsoincludesimprovedprocessingandcrossreferencingofinformation(seealsothe riskofcompulsoryIDcards). i. Increasingsophisticationoflisteningandtrackingdevices,inparticularintransmissionrangeandinminiaturizationof them(egRFIDtags).Thoughthetechnologyhasbeenaroundforsomeconsiderabletime,itwasnotalwayspracticalfor securityagenciestousethemforastarttheyweremoreeasilypickedupbytheactivists.Thisischanging. However, there is hope and it comes in the form ofbudgets. The promise of hitech equipment and techniques is as much about savingcosts as it is about effectiveness. As security agencies come to relyonthem, they will rely less on lowtechand manpowerintensivetechniques(suchasactivesurveillance). The result is that lowtech security precautions can actually become more effective bugs only work if they can be placed somewhereyouaregoingtobetalking;usingATMmachinesandcreditcardstotagyouceasetoworkifyoupayonlyincash. Thisiswhyweareconfidentthatactivistswillcontinuetobeathorninthesideofthestatusquodespiteconstantoppression fromstateandcorporations.

12.ClosedCulturevs.OpenCulture
Whatwehavewritteninthisbookletisverymuchforanactivistculturequiteclosedinnature.Othergroupsprefertogofora completelyopenapproach,nothidingwhatitistheydo.Wearenotopposedtothis,andonsomelevelsitisanadvantageous routetogodown. Wheretheopencultureworksbestisonthelegalandlargescaleapproaches.Onsmallerscalesandforcovertactionsproblems willarise.Itisaparticularrisk,wheneveryoneattendinganovertactiondoesnothavethesameagenda,andsomeonemaydo something(egabrickthroughawindow)whichleavesothersintroubletheywerenotpreparedfororhadnotsignedupto.Of course,byhavingalargemeeting,itismucheasiertogeteveryonesingingfromthesamesheet,sotospeak,butthisisnot guaranteed. Largermeetingsmakeitharderforinfiltratorstobepickedoutaswellandontheorganisationalfrontareanightmaretokeep quietthismeansthattheytendnottostaysecretforverylong.Thebasicrulesshouldbethatallmobileswillbeswitchedoff andthatjournalistsareaskedtoleave. It is important to be inclusive, but at some point it will become a risk; having as many people as possible at an action is not helpfulwhenthisapproachmeansthattheactioniseffectivelyscupperedbyyouropponents.Themoresuccessfulyouareasa campaignoractivistgroup,themorethiswillbecomeaproblem.Wherelargermeetingsarefineforoverallstrategy,tacticsfor individualactionsarebestlefttosmallergroupsworkingawayquietlyawayfrompublicglare.

13Writingletters
Evenwritingletterscangetyouintroublethesedaysifyouarenotcareful,especiallywhencompaniesandthelikecanafford theirownDIYDNAtestingkitsandthelike.Therearequiteanumberofthingsyoucando,alllegal,whichwillhelpmaintain yourprivacy.Below is anaccount of howone person writes letters toensurecomplete anonymity.Not everything they do is necessaryplayittoyourownneedsandsituation. 13.1Writinglettersathome Preparationiseverything.Itcomesintwostages:acquiringthematerials,andpreparingthewritingroom.Materialispurchased outoftownfromwellknownshops,buyingthemostpopularbrands,inparticulargenericshopbrands.Everythingisboughtin plasticwrapperssotheyarenotdirectlytouched.Athome,theyarekeptseparateandthereceiptburnt. Atthehotelorhomeoneroomasideforthepurposeandgivenathoroughcleantoremoveasmuchstrayhair,dandruff,skin cells, etc. Thetable is washed downand disinfected (cheap vodkaor white spirits will do); thefloors hoovered and the walls dusted.Anyanimalsarekeptout.Shower,andputonfreshlywashedclothes,orevenapapersuit.Wearlongsleeves,andgive hairagoodbrush,tyingitbackifnecessary. 64

 When writing put on a new pair of washing up gloves before doing anything else, such as opening the pens and paper. All wrappersarekeptintheshoppingbagfordisposaloflater.Paperisverygoodatcatchingfingerprints,soitisimportanttokeep yourskinawayfromthepaper. Whenwriting,dontleanoverthepaper,breathingonit.Formtheletterscarefullytakingyourtimeoverthemifnecessary.The fasteryouwritethemorelikelyitwilllooklikeyournaturalhandwriting.Watchoutforexamplesinyourlettersthatactastell talemarkers,likehowyouformtheletterG's.Dontbeafraidtostartoveragain.Ifyousneezeorcough,scraptheletterand wipethetabledownagain,asitwillspraytheareawithyourDNA.Dontforgettoburnthediscardedletterlater. Alternatively,buyasecondhandprinterandnewcartridgestowriteiton,butdisposeofstraightafter,takingcaretodestroyit first. Likewisewhenaddressingtheenvelopes.Forsealingthem,manyenvelopesnowadaysareselfseal.Ifnot,thenuseawettissue togluetheenvelopeshut.Puttheenvelopesintoacleanplasticbagforposting,assoonasyouhavefinishedthem(soifyou sneezeordosomethinglikethat,thenthesewillnothavetobescrapped).Aswithenvelopes,useselfadhesivestamps,buyinga newlotinbookform. Post out of town, trying to use a different postbox each time, preferably ones not in town centres where there are CCTV cameras. Countryside ones are good. To avoid getting fingerprints on the envelopes as you post them, use the plastic bag to dumptheminthepostbox(doesn'tlookasobviousasglovesinwarmweather). 13.2Computers,printers&photocopiers 13.2.1Computers On the computer, use simple text editors such as NotePad on Windows, SimpleText on Macs or emacs/vi on Linux. Big programmessuchasMicrosoftWord,LotusNotes,etcoftenstorebackupsofyourtext,andhaveavarietyofissuesthatyou would probably want to avoid, as if your computer should be stolen, others may find it easier to locate the letters you have created.Infact,wewouldrecommendthatyouavoidMicro$oftWordaltogether. Wherepossible,donotsavethefile;somesystemswillallowyoutoprintoffafilewithoutsavingitfirst.Withthesimpletext editorsthismeansthatyoucanavoidleavingtracesonthecomputer,asthetextwillonlybeheldintheworkingmemory. Ifyoudosavethefile,neversimplydeleteitasthisdoesnotactuallyremoveitfromyourcomputer.Insteaduseadedicated wipeprogrammesuchasPGPWipeorCleanDiskSecuritytoremoveitfullyfromtheharddrive.Betterstill,ifsavingit,dosoto afloppydiskthatcanbeburntifnecessary.Makesurethatthenumberofwipesissettoatleast8or9. Finally,ifwritingsomethingofaparticularlysensitivenaturethenusethefreespacewipeoptionsintheabovesoftwaretobe onthesafeside.Itisgoodpracticetorunfreespacewipesregularlytomakesurethatthereisnothingawkwardleftbehindon yourcomputerdisk.Thoughbeawareitwillshortenthelifeofyourcomputersharddrive. Alternatively, if the environment is safe enough, then use a university or library computer, so there is no connection to your homecomputer.Ifyouaretechnicallyskilled,considerusingfree(orcrackable)WiFihotspotsonbuses,trains,coffeeshops,etc (thoughchangeyourcomputer'sidentifierssoitcanbetracedbacktoyouifyourlaptopgetsseized 13.2.2Printing Printersandespeciallytypewritershavetheirownfingerprints.Thismeansiftheysuspectyouwrotealetterandtheygetholdof yourprinter/typewriterforensicscanmatchthetwoup.Thereareseveralwaysaroundthis.Oneistouseaprintersharedbya largenumberofpeople.Itisthenfarhardertoconnectyoudirectlytoit.Youcantypetheletterupathome,andbringitinona floppydisk.Someproblemswiththisarepeoplelookingoveryourshouldersocheckoutyoursituation.Itisgoodtohaveseveral windows open on your screen if you are working on a public computer, so youcanquicklybringanother to the front,hiding whatyouhavebeentyping. Secondly, when you are printing out you do not want to touch the actual letter or have others see it. To avoid the obvious wearingofgloves,iftheprinterisrelativelyquite,whatyoushoulddoisdoaprintrunofacoupleofthingsatthesametime withyourletterinthemiddleofit.Thismeanstherearepagesaboveandbelowitthatyoucancatchitinbetweenwith,soyou can avoid actually touching the letter itself. Alternatively, if the printer is busy, put in a page or two of garbage text at the beginningandendofyourlettertoachievethesameeffect. 13.2.3Photocopiers Finally, once you have your letter printed off, a very good technique to adopt is to photocopy it. This will help avoid telltale printermarksbyobscuringthemwiththephotocopiersownfingerprints.Toenhancethis,putthepageontheprinterataslight angle, alter the contrast a little and maybe put the photocopied version through again to increase the blurring effect even 65

further. Remember to burn the originals when you are finished with them (do not simply put them in the nearest bin). If possible,gotoadifferenttowntodotheprintingandphotocopying.

14UsingMobilePhones
Activistshaveconflictingopinionsontherisksassociatedwithmobilephones,rangingfromconsideringthesecurityriskfrom themtobenegligible,tokeepingthematarmslengthasmuchaspossible.Thelackofsolidinformationaboutmobilephones hasbredavarietyofmyths,easilydismissedbythosewithlesstobeconcernedabout.We,however,recommenderringonthe cautioussideascanbeseenfromtheinformationintherestofthissection. In November 2006 one of our collective attended an industry workshop on mobile phone security with special relevance to activists.Amongthekeyspeakerswasamobilephonesecurityexpertwhoworkswithawiderangeofcorporations,including thepolice.Hisadvicewasthatforallourworriesandfearswehaveaboutmobilephonesitsworsethanwethought.Whenit comestoactivismandmobilephones,leaveyoursathome.Weconsiderthatgoodadvice.Likeeverythingthereareexceptions, butwithmobilephonesgoodpracticeistotreatthemwiththeutmostsuspicionfromthestart.

14.1Insideamobilephone.
A mobile phone is a complicated beast, and is getting ever more so as technologies converge. From a hardware perspective, thereisthe a)thebattery b)theSIMcard c)thephoneitself Thebatteryisthemainpowersupplyforthephone.Peopleoftenrecommendremovingitsothephonewillnotwork.Thisisnot necessarilythecase.Somemodelscarrysecondary,slimlinebatteriestokeepsomefunctionsgoing.Howeffectivetheseareat maintainingthephoneasalistening/trackingdeviceisamatterfordebate,butagaintheadvicefromthoseintheknowisthat takingoutabatteryisnotgoodenough.Lookingattheincreasingminiaturizationofbugsingeneralitwouldseemtousthat evenasmallsecondarybatterycouldallowotherstousethemobilephoneasalisteningdevice. TheSIM card is a small chipwhichcarriesvarious details, inparticularthe phone number itself. Itis a relativelysimple bit of circuitryeasilyremovedfromthebackofmostphones. Thephoneisacomplexbitofelectronicgadgetrythatperformsmanyfunctions,butincludesmicrophonesandlisteningdevices intheirmostbasicforms.Moremodernphoneswillhavecamerafeaturesandamounttosmallcomputersintheirownright. EachphonecarriesitsownserialnumbercalledtheIMEInumber.Thiscanbechanged,butintheUKthathasbeenmadeillegal inanefforttodeterphonethieves. Theotheraspecttoaphoneisthesoftware.Sincethebeginningofphones,variousmanufacturersandnetworkshaveincluded software in addition to the advertised features. A phone is a small computer, and the more they develop the greater their sophisticationhasgrown,sothatmoreandmorefeaturescanbeadded.Eachmodelisdifferent,andnobodycansaywhatis exactly on a phone, as the manufacturer (eg Samsung, Motorola), the Network (eg O2, Tmobile, Vodaphone) and the final vendorsallapplytheirownsoftware,andthattoowillvaryfrommodeltomodel,andfromcountrytocountry.Basically,thereis alotgoingoninaphonethatwemightnothaveaclueabout. Someare,however,understoodsomewhatbetter.OnesuchfeatureofvariousNokiaphonesisthattheyareeasilyadaptedto be turned on remotely without alerting anyone. These models are still being sold in various shops specializing in surveillance equipment,andhavetheadvantageofbeenverycommon.Theyaregenerallysoldalongthelinesofpeopleleavingmeetingsto gotothetoilet,leavingtheirphonebehindintheroom.Theyringthephoneremotely,itturnsonandthephoneownercanhear whatisbeingsaidintheroom.Itisnotagreatleapfromtheretogettingsomeoneelsesphoneandturningitonremotelyto hearwhatisbeingsaidnearby. As phone software develops it becomes increasingly open to being hacked in much the same way as computers. Software technologiesexistwhichcanscanphonesinaroomandidentifytheirvariousmakes/models.Withthisinformation,carefully tailoredsignalscanbesenttoparticularphones,promptingtheownertoapplysecuritypatches,updates,etc,butwhichactually installmalicioussoftware[malware]instead,thusputtingthephoneunderthecontrolofathirdparty.Asimplebitofmalware is one that monitors the phones address book, providing the interloper with its details and then notify when it has been updated.Forordinarymobilephoneswithbasicfunctions,thisisnotasignificantproblem;formoresophisticatedphonesthat permitaccesstoemailsandinternetitisamuchgreaterrisk. DifferentphonesofferotherfeatureswhichcanbeusedagainstthecampaigneragoodexampleisGPSsystemswhichallow accuratepositioningofphonesandthustheirusers/owners. 66

Thesoftwareposesothersimplehacksforunsuspectingusers,whichagaindependonnetworksandmodels.Inarecentcasea UK reporter was able to access the messaging services of the mobiles of various prominent people because they had not changedthedefaultpasswordsontheirphones.

14.2Makingaphonecall
Themobilephonenetworkisactuallyaseriesofphonemastsandvariousexchangesdottedaroundthecountry.Eachphone mastisattheheartofacell,aspacethatitserves.Foraphonetoreceiveamessageorcallitneedstoletamastknowthatitis in its cell. It will send out a broadcast signal and select the strongest reply as the nearest mast to communicate with. This locationisloggedsowhenthereisamessageorphonecallforthatnumber,thenetworkcanrouteitdirectlytoyou.Amobile phoneonyourcarsdashboardmaycauseyourradiospeakerstoemitahissingsoundasitsendsitslocationtonearbymastsas itchangesfromonecelltoanother. Locatingaphoneinaparticularcellgivesthenetworkaroughgeographicallocationofthephonesposition.Ifthereareseveral mastsinanareaandtheyallpickupasignalfromamobilephone,thentriangulationtechniquescanbeusedtopinpointthe locationofthemobilephonemoreaccurately.Thehigherthedensityofmaststheeasieritbecomes,soinacitythistechniqueis farmoreaccuratethaninthecountryside. Agoodplacetomakelocatingthephonemoredifficultyisonamotorwaywerethecellstendtobeinlonglineswhichmakes triangulationdifficult.Anotherplacewhichconfusesthesystemistobedirectlyunderneathaphonemastwhichalsoconfuses theprocessbyremovinghelpfuldatafromothermasts. Thisexchangeofcommunicationisgoingonallthetimeandiswhatturnsamobilephoneintoatrackingdevice.IntheUKall theseexchangesarebeingloggedbythevariousnetworksattherequestofthegovernmentandbylaw.IntheUS,enhanced 911featuresarerequiredbylawtoallowemergencyservicestotracethelocationofamobilephone,thoughofcoursethisis opentoabusebyothers. Thisfeatureisbeingturnedintoacommercialapplication.Therearefirmswhichactivelytrackmobilephonesofemployeeson behalfoftheirbossestoensuretheemployeesarewheretheysaytheyare.Itisalsomarketedtoparentsaslocationdevicesfor theirchildren.Intheorythisisdonewiththeconsentofthephoneholder/ownerastheyhavetosendbackatextacknowledging the service. However, this is simple enough to circumvent if they are not in possession of the phone for the length of time required for consent. See the following website for an account of a reporter successfully doing this to a friend: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/click_online/4747142.stm. Examples of companies offering this service are www.worldtracker.com,www.verilocation.comandwww.tracemobile.com. There are more and more development on this front as corporations latch onto themobile phoenas a tracking devlice, so it ceases to be just the state who are doing the monitoring. One company has set up a service allowing people to know the whereabouts of their friends (see http://uk.news.yahoo.com/itn/20080603/tuksniffingoutyourmatesdba1618.html) which alsohasobviousimplicationsfromasecuritypointofview.Anotherisallowingshoppingmallstotrackthepatternsofthose shoppinginit;thoughtheyclaimtheycannottellwhoownsthephone,itwouldnotbedifficulttomatchthedataupwithCCTV footagetogetanimagetogoalongwithit(http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/05/20/tracking_phones/). Some companies are now offering services which allow you to specifically listen in to other peoples phones, for example www.flexispy.com though some access to the phone in question, as with tracking techniques, are needed to do this. It is, however,acaseofhoweasylattergenerationphonescanbeturnedagainsttheirusers. However,locationisnottheonlyinformationbeingloggedbythenetworks;witheachphonecalltheywillberecordingtheSIM andIMEInumbersassociatedwiththephone,thephonesmake&model,thelocationtriad,timeanddurationofthecall,the phone number called, and the contents of any text messages. If there are any other features enabled, such as address book backups,thentheyarealsorecorded. UKlegislation,inparticularthe2001AntiTerrorism,CrimeandSecurityAct,demandsthatnetworkskeeplogsofvariousbitsof thisinformation.Time,durationandnumberscalledarekeptanywayforbillingpurposes(BTkeepsallsuchinformationfor6 years);textsarekeptfor6months(andintheUKareadmissibleincourtwhereasactualphonecallsarenot)andURLsfor4 days.Theparticularsofotherinformationtobestoredarecurrentlyundernegotiationwiththevariouscompaniesinvolved.Of courseallsuchstoredinformationisopentothepoliceandothersecurityservicestoaccess.TheEUisalsolookingatbringingin similarlegislation,thoughtherearedataretentionissues.IntheUSA,thereisnodataretentionissueandcorporationscankeep informationforaslongastheylike,andoftendo. Aswithlandlines,thetechnologytolistenintomobilephonesisreadilyavailabletothestate,andgovernmentsareincreasingly tapping activists in countries as well other than their own. In the UK and elsewhere the networks have implemented various protocols in their systems that actively facilitate government agencies to listen in on phonecalls. The basic advice is to treat 67

mobile phones with all the circumspection you would landlines. You wouldnt say anything incriminating over your home or officephone,sodontstartdoingitwithmobileseither. There is another threat with mobile phones, albeit rarer. It is possible to step in between a phone and a mast by using an appropriately set up computer as a relaying station, which emulates being a mast. If it is close enough to the target mobile phone,thephonewillrouteitscommunicationswiththenetworkthroughitwithoutrealizinganythingisamiss.Thepersonin controloftherouterthenhasaccesstoeverythingbeensent,includingtheconversationandnumbers.Thismeansthatagencies otherthanthestatecanalsotapmobilephonesifsodesire.

14.3Networkanalysis
Thereisathirdclassofriskassociatedwithmobilephonesandthatisanalysisofpatternsassociatedwiththeiruse.Thiscanbe donetoalimitedextentwithlandlines,suchaswhomdoyouphonethemostandwhen,butwithmobilephonesthereisa greaterscopeduetothechanginggeographicalfactor.Inparticular,thisallowsaphonetobeassociatedwithahouseholdor individual,evenifthatphonehasbeenregisteredaspayasyougo.Otherinformationsuchanalysiswillprovide includesthe particularnetworkofcontactsassociatedwiththatphoneandthusitsowner. Onceaphoneisusedithooksintothenetwork.Soifyouuseyournewmobiletocallthelandlineormobileofaknownactivist, yourphoneismarkedforattention.Themoreitisusedinsuchafashionthemorethatphoneiscompromisedandlinkedinto thenetwork.Thusoncethephoneisusedinthisfashionthenitshouldbeconsideredcompromised,evenifyouvetakencare nottohaveyournameassociatedwithit. Whereandwhenphonesareturnedoffisalsotelling.Ifeveryonegoestoameetingplacethenturnsofftheirphonethatisa clearsignalthatsomethingisupinthatarea.Likewise,ifonepersonisbeingtrackedtoameetingplace,thosemonitoringthem can see if other phones in that cell are switched off at the same time, thusgivingthem insight into thepotential network of individuals associated with their target. Similarly at a meeting, knowing the phones there can be use identify the individuals present.Itdoesnotevenhavetobeameetingitcanbethefactthatyouvevisitedsomeoneshousesomakingaconnection betweenthetwoofyou. From another angle, if a selection of known phones appears in the same cell or nearby cells and then get turned off it is an indicationthatsomethingistakingplace. Thebestsolutionifyoudontwanttobeassociatedwithameetingistoleaveyourphonesathome(switchedon),orturnthem offsometimebeforeyougettothedesignatedarea.

14.4Mobilephonesandactivism
The above sounds somewhat frightening, and it is meant to be. In our view, mobiles phones pose a considerable risk and facilitatestatemonitoringofus.Theyarealsoanuisancetowatchoutfor.Itiseasyforsomeonetoslipintoapublicmeeting and use their mobile as a recording device or for taking photographs. This is on top of the sheer nuisance value of peoples phonesringingduringmeetingsandpeopleactuallyansweringthem.Ifsomeonetookoutamicrophoneandvideocamera,we would not hesitate to challenge them: there is no reason to treat mobile phones any differently when they supply the same functions.Peoplecomeupwithallsortsofexcusesnottobeseparatedfromtheirmobiles,suchasdenyingthethreat,orsaying theyreexpectingimportantcalls,butwevesurvivedwellenoughwithoutthem,sowecandosoagainforseveralhours. Aswithallsecurity,onehastoanalyzetheriskbutwhentheexecutivesoflargecorporationsarewaryofthemforsecurity reasonsthenweshouldtreatthemwiththesamecaution. To help defeat the various risks associated with network analysis change your phone number and phone on a regular basis. Purchasepayasyougophonesinasecuremanner(seebelow),andavoidregisteringtheminyourname.Governmentsarein theprocessoftryingtophaseoutpayasyougophonessoallmobilephoneswillberegisteredtoindividuals.Ifyourcountry requiresaphonetoberegistered,considerusingaddressesoffriends/squatsandfalsenames;swapphoneswithfriendsona regularbasisaswell. Ifyouarearrestedwithaphoneyoucanbesureoftwothingsthepolicewillforeverassociatethatnumberwithyouandthey willgothroughtheinformationonit,includingtextmessages,recentmade/receivedcalls,andaddressbook.Callsmadeduring thetimeoftheactionwillclearlyplaceotherphonesinthepictureandifthepolicecanputnamestothoseholdingthoseother phonesthenitputstheminthefiringlineaswell.Thusifanactionisgoingwrong,getridofyourphonesassoonaspossible, preferablysecurely.Whatyoushouldnotdoisringalandlinetosaythatyouareintrouble.Bettertowipefreeoffingerprints anddumpitfirst. 14.4.1Meetings Dependingonyourrequiredsecuritywerecommendthefollowinglistofactiontobetaken,gradedintermsofincreasingrisk a) Turnoffallphones. 68

b) c) d) e) f)

Placeinaboxinanotherroom. Removebatteries. Turnoffbeforewellbeforegettingtothemeetingplace. Leaveathomealtogether. Givetosomeoneelsetotakeelsewhere.

14.4.2CovertAction For all ournegative opinion onphones, we do acceptthat theyplayavaluable role in activism in terms of keepingdisparate groupsincontactorforuseonactions. Thetrickistocreateanetworkofphonesthatarenotlinkedintoanyothernetworks.Thisisknownasclosednetworkandhas been used very effectively by different groups of activists. If the risk associated with being caught is great then it is worth investinginasetofphonestocreateaclosednetworksolelyforthatactionandfollowingtheguidelinessetoutbelow. j.10). Followtheguidelinesforpurchasingmobilessecurely j.11). Ensurethatnoneofthephonesinthenetworkareusedtoringanyofyourfriendsorcontacts,orindeedany phone outside of the network. Once this happens the network should be considered compromised and the phones disposedof(soldon/trashed). j.12). Keepthebatteryoutwhenthephoneisnotrequiredforuse. j.13). KeeptheSIMcardoutwhenthephoneisstored,preferablyinaseparateplacefromtherestofthephone; importantincasethereisaraid. j.14). Neverturnthephoneoninyourhouse,officeorregularmeetingplacesasitwillimmediatelybeassociated withthatplace,especiallyifitisthefirstlocationturnedonin.Ifyoususpectyourcarisundersurveillancethenavoid usingthephoneinornearit. j.15). Avoidpatternsofphoneuseforexamplealwaysusingthesameareaand/ortimetomakethephonecalls. j.16). WhenmakingphonecallsavoidareaswherethereisCCTV;considerabikerideintothecountryside,etc,or findinganenclosedbusshelter. j.17). Avoidspendinglongerthan30minutesinoneareawhenusingthephone.Makeuseofthefactthatthephone allowsyoutobemobile. j.18). Dont hesitate to get rid of a mobile if it is starting to come too hot. If a phone hasbeen a central point of contactduringacampaignoraperiodofaction,getridofitattheend. j.19). Consider using your personal phones as a potential alibi get friends to use them at your home, etc, so creatingtheillusionthatyouwereusingthematthetime. There are many reasons why you might want to make anonymous phone calls to people, both allies and targets. Follow the above guidelines to keep yourself safe from being traced back. If youare targeting someone, dont respond to any calls they makebacktoyou,astemptingasitistoheartheirreaction. Acommontactic,whichisalsorelativelycheap,istoringanumber,allowthebelltoringonceandringoff,repeatingendlessly. Usingrepeatdialthiscanbedoneforsometime,effectivelyblockingtheotherpersonsphonelinewithouthavingtopayforthe costs of the call. However, this form of phone blockading may actually be illegal as it could be considered to amount to harassment. AsIMEInumbersarenowassociatedwithphonecalls,itisnolongersufficienttoremovetheSIMcardtohideyourtrace.Itis importantnowtogetridofthephoneitselfaswell.Whengettingrideofaphonethatposesasecurityrisktobecaughtwith,it isrecommendedtheSIMcardisremovedandmelted,andphoneitselfisthoroughlydestroyed.Phonewithlessofariskcanbe soldonthesecondhandmarket,thoughitispreferabletoseparateouttheSIMcardandsellitseparately. 14.4.1TakingoutbatteriesandSIMcards Thisisoftenconsideredcontroversialbecausepeopledonotunderstandwhytheyaredoingit.Itisawayofdisablingthephone soitcannotbelistenedinonremotely.IntheUSithasbeenestablishedthatitispossibletomonitoramobilephoneevenwhen itisturnedoff.Seeforexamplethisnewsstory:http://youtube.com/watch?v=0G1fNjK9SXg Thewayaroundthisistotakethebatteryout,whichcutsthepowertothemicrophoneandtransmittingdevicesintrinsictothe phonewhichtheyareusingtolistenin.Aproblemwiththisisthattheremaybesecondarybatteriesinsomephones,buried insidethehardwarewhichcanalsobeusedandposeasimilarrisk.Itmaynotbeaslarge,butitisstillarisk.Hence,thebest adviceistohavethephonesoffandawayfromyouwhenhavingsensitiveconversations. TakingoutSIMcardsdoesnotappeartobeparticularlyeffectivefromthispointofview,asthehardwarehastheIMEInumbers toidentifyitsoallowingthosemonitoringtozeroinonthephone.However,sayingthat,itwillmakeitharderdependingonif theyareusingthemobilephonenetworkstofacilitatetheirspyingasitisthecodeontheSIMcardwhichallowsthephoneto negotiatethenetworks. 69

14.5Purchasingmobilesanonymously
Toensureanonymitytakethefollowingprecautionswhenbuyingamobilephone: Makeyourpurchaseinashopawayfromwhereyoulive. TryifpossibletoavoidtowncentreswherethereisagreaterlikelihoodthatyouwillbeonCCTV.Manysmallorsecond handshopsdonothavecamerasandthosethatdoareunlikelytoretaintapesforlongerthanaweekifatall.High street shops & supermarkets will keep CCTV footage for much longer. Follow the general guidelines for purchasing equipment(seeprevioussection). Do not give real details if asked. Many shops do ask for personal information, but do not require proof of ID. In countriessuchastheUKthisisnotactuallyrequiredasyet,andisdoneundertheguiseofmarketingorforantitheft purposes, but you are entitled to refuse. However, in order to draw less attention it is probably better to give false information. Goforsimplephoneswithoutalltheextrafeaturesnowbeingmadeavailable. Paywithcash. Donotregisterthephoneifyoudonothaveto,orelsegivefake/alternativedetails,preferablythesameonesyouhave giventheretailer. Burnallpackaging.Mostpackagingcarriesvariousbarcodesthatpermitaparticularphonetobeassociatedwithitand thuswhereithasbeensold,etc. Toppingupcredit Whensettingupthemobile,usepayasyougooptionswherepossible;thisisamoreexpensivesolution,butismuchbetterfor anonymity. As with any purchase, this can be used to link you to the purchase and thus to the phone, so follow the same guidelinesforotherequipmentavoidCCTV,wearnondescriptclothes,baseballcaps,etcandpicksmallershops.Usecashto purchasetopupvouchersratherthancreditcards/ATMmachinestotopupswipecards.Burnorotherwisesecurelydisposeof anytopupvouchers,etc. Phonewiping Ifyouhaveaquestionmarkoveryourphoneandyoususpectsomeonehasinstalledsomethingonit(asopposedtomonitoring you through the networks) then one way around it is to wipe it clean of all software and start again from scratch, or less drastically,resetittofactorysettings.Thisisnotatrivialthingtodo,andwillbedifferentforeachphone,thoughmucheasierin thecaseofnewerphonetypes.DetailsondoingthiscanoftentobefoundthoughaGooglesearch. The following useful website provides the necessary instructions from deleting personal data for different models of phones whichshouldbedonebeforepassingthemon:http://www.recellular.com/recycling/data_eraser/default.asp

15.Conclusion
Remember,securityisaboutempoweringyourselftotakeactionintodaysrepressivesociety.Ifyouarenottakingaction,then youropponentshavewon.Thereisnosuchthingasafoolproofsystem,andtherewillbeanelementofrisktoeverythingyou do,butdonotbeputoffbythis. At the end of the day we are all motivated by a desire to change the world for the better and that is something that takes couragetodointhefirstplace.Youhavealreadymadetheimportantsteps,sopleasetakeawayfromthisarticletheknowledge tokeepmakingthosestepstowardsyourgoal.Beempowered,keepfightingandstayfree. Ifyoudontunderstandsomepointsorneedfurtherhelp,alwaysask.Itisbettertobesafethansorry. The authors have kept themselves active and free for many years now, so there is no reason why you cannot do the same, withoutmakingtheirmistakes.

16.FinalNote,DisclaimerandContactDetails
Wehavewrittenthisarticlebasedonpersonalexperience,discussingtechniqueswhichhavekeptusactiveandoutoftrouble withthelaw.Itisnotperfect,andnodoubttherearepartsyoudisagreewith,wehavegotwrongorsimplymissedout.Ifyou haveanyconstructivecriticismorsuggestionsoftechniquestoaddin,pleasedonothesitatetogetintouch.Ifweagree,wewill includetheminthenextversion. Nothinginthisarticleshouldbetakenasencouragementtocommitillegalactswithinthejurisdictionyoulivein.Someofthe things discussed may be illegal in one jurisdiction, but not in others. Everything presented in this article is for informational purposes,andtheauthorsandpublishersareatpainstonotethatpeopleshouldnotbreakthelaw,nomatterhowmuchanass itisoritprotectstheinterestsofcorporationsovertheinterestsoftheplanetanditsinhabitants.Weacceptnoliabilityforthe accuracyofthematerialinthisbookletorifyougetitwrong.Sorry. Contactus [email protected]. Thechances are that weare busybeing out onactions or campaigningto reply immediately,butcorrectionsandsuggestionsarealwayswelcome.Sorry,nophonenumber. 70

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