Surveillance is the secretive, continuous watching of persons, vehicles, places or objects to obtain information. It can be either physical or technical, or a combination of both.

Physical surveillance requires physical observation of the target by an individual or a team of surveillants on foot and/or by vehicle.

Technical surveillance uses equipment such as listening devices, telephone tapping, pin-hole video cameras, etc., to observer, monitor and/or record the target's activities.

The premise of survillance counter-measures is that an individual or group is always vulnerable to the threat of surveillance.

The risk of surveilance for an individual or group increases the more they are involved in subversive or illegal activities (or are suspected to be) and under certain conditions (ie, war).

All counter-insurgency operations, whether they have as their goal simple monitoring, disruption, or destruction, are based on information gathered through surveillance.

At times, surveillance itself is used as a counter-intelligence tactic to intimidate, harass or psychologically prerssure an individual. This is accomplished by surveillance operators being obvious and overt in their activities ("we are watching you").

[More information on surveillance will be forthcoming in this space]

Bugs, Taps and Infiltrators - What to do about Political Spying

Surveillance Techniques and Technologies"
(includes info on sattelite, cctv, workplace surveillance, echelon and data profiling)

The failure of counter-surveillance as mass-activity

On being watched (British)

"How Far Will It Transmit?"
How far can transmitters really send their signal? A definitive article on the subject. Wireless Video: Part One of Three
Wireless Video: Part Two of Three
Wireless Video: Part Three of Three

Vehicle Tracking Systems: Part 1
Vehicle Tracking Systems: Part 2