Here at Spy Equipment UKwe have developed a vast wealth of knowledge on common surveillance techniques and as such a wide range of simple tips for countering these techniques. This article will help the D.I.Y. Detective in most counter surveillance situations they may find themselves in.

The most common form of surveillance is audio monitoring, usually in the form of GSM bugging with the GSM bugeither hidden or disguised as an every day object. When conducting a ‘bug sweep’ it is imperative that all plug sockets and light switches are removed from the wall. This allows for a physical check to see if an audio module has been attached to the mains at this point, light fittings are also possible places an audio unit may be connected to the mains. Ensure to check any high, out of sight or reach locations (including above ceiling tiles if possible) that could conceal and audio devices, Spy Equipment UK’s Snake Inspection Camera is perfect for this. Remember, however, to always back up a thorough physical check with a scan from a suitable bug hunter. Video units operate in a very similar way to audio units however must have the lens (however small) on show, the quickest way to pick these out is to use Spy Equipment UK’s Spy Camera Finder.

GPS Vehicle Trackers are also a common area of surveillance, with magnetically mounted units being the most popular due to their ease of deployment and removal. The two types of magnetically mounted vehicle trackers are Live GPS Trackersand Historic GPS Loggers. Both can be detected by a thorough search of the underside of the vehicle, as both types work best when parallel to the road surface it is best to check places where this would be possible first. Front or rear bumpers are also popular spots along with spare wheel compartments and boots. A GPS Loggercan only be detected by this method as they do not actually send an RF transmition and simply communicate with the mid-orbit satellites to obtain long & lat coordinates to log. A live GPS tracker, however, uses an onboard SIM card to communicate its long & lat data to a remote server meaning these is an RF transmission that could be detected but Spy Equipment UK’s Pro6000GSM Bug Hunter or higher.

Here at Spy Equipment UK we love to have the latest and greatest that technology can offer and when it comes to GPS Tracking we offer only the best in devices and tracking service.

At Spy Equipment UK, we offer all our GPS Tracking Devices with an included 12 month use of our secure, white-labeled tracking platform, FutureTrack. Just by having a small look at the FutureTrack platform, you can see how truly comprehensive and easy to use it is, with full mapping facility and history reporting. This system gives you everything you need when tracking a vehicle, asset or person.

But what if you can’t get to a PC or Laptop with internet?
One of the most common problems we do come across is users not being able to gain access to an internet connection to check where their tracking unit is. Here at Spy Equipment UK we understand that it isn’t possible to be in front of a computer to monitor your tracker 24/7 and so we’ve finally found the solution.

http://mobile.futuretrack.co.uk

Simply enter the above WAP link into your mobile phone’s Internet browser, enter your user name and password on screen and away you go! This allows you access to your tracker no matter where you are, from one side of the planet to the other!

Spy Equipment UK are proud to announce the signing of a new contract with Redweb Security for distribution of Redweb’s range of curtting edge tracking devices. Although previously Spy Equipment UK offered some of Redwebs’ tracking devices as part of the range, now as official distributor, Redwebs’ entire range is now being marketed by Spy Equipment UK. With a bigger range of GPS trackers including asset and covert vehicle tracking devices than ever before. There is now a GPS tracking device for almost every application. Whether you want to protect expensive assets from Plant Equipment, Caravans, Trailers or maybe cars and motorcycles, there is now a device to cater for almost all needs.

Whatever your need. Todays technology has meant that looking after your precious assets has never been easier. With reductions in size, increase in battery life and the incorporation of intelligent microprocessor-driven technology, the latest devices perform in such a way that a few years ago would have seemed impossible.

Redweb security has already established a reputation for supplying class-leading security and surveillance products to Police Services and large corporate organisations throughout the UK and Ireland. Now the link-up with Spy Equipment UK will bring these products to a wider audience and with the benefit of closer customer back-up and support, there has never been a better time to buy the latest tracking technology.

Since starting life as a Private Investigator in April 2000, I was constantly asked for various types of tracking device. Requests from Clients ranged from a tracking device to place under a vehicle to a small enough piece of tracking equipment that could be concealed in a persons clothing. Since the 1970’s any major film release with Spy connotations would include the use of incredibly small tracking devices and as a result, the Publics’ belief has been that this type of equipment was available if you knew where to look or who to ask.

Up until the advent of GPS Tracking, any tracking devices relied upon the use of Radio Frequency transmitting devices in conjunction with a Receiver to give a location position based on signal strength and direction. GPS Trackers for the commercial fleet sector brought vehicle tracking into a new dimension of accuracy, but with advances in technology tracking units have now become more sensitive, versatile and at the same time, substantially smaller.

In 2005 the first proper ‘under-vehicle’ magnetic tracking device was commercially available at a price in the region of £5000.00 including mapping software. In the latter part of 2006 a much more affordable ‘under-vehicle’ tracking solution was released and although fairly crude, it brought covert trackers to a much wider audience. Since this time, further advances in GPS, GSM, Computer and Battery Technology have resulted in smaller, more powerful devices coupled to incredibly comprehensive Web-based tracking consoles.

Spy Equipment UK’s TracWolf Advance has just been upgraded with a new more powerful Battery Pack giving, on average, between five and six weeks of tracking between recharges, yet still maintaining live tracking updates every 15 seconds when on the move. And coupled to our cutting-edge tracking platform, there really is nothing else available to beat it on performance and value.

Spy Equipment UK are ready to unleash two new tracking devices onto the market that will almost revolutionise GPS Tracking. Consistently, the main questions asked by our customers are:

• What is the size of the device?
• How long will the battery last?
• Can I connect to the device live?

One of the new tracking devices, although extremely small, has a potential battery life of up to 7 years. This very slimline unit has a variety of intelligent features that makes it perfect for long-term installation in Caravans, Trailers, Plant/Construction equipment. The second tracking unit is, we believe, the smallest live GPS Tracking Device available on the market! Although this unit has limited battery life, it is ideal for tracking of assets, briefcases, bags, packages and many other applications, where concealment of a tracking unit is of the utmost importance.

Both of the new trackers have the ability to track live and give full history reports, operating on Spy Equipment UK’s own comprehensive web-based tracking platform.

Spy Equipment UK are just about to release a new range of Asset Trackers to compliment their existing range of Vehicle Tracking Devices and personal/VIP Trackers. . The new units will operate on the existing tracking platform used by the TracWolf tracking units. This will enable existing customers to add to their range of tracking devices without the need to get used to new software.

Both units will be Quad Band, so are fit for deployment and use worldwide. One of the units has the ability to enter a deep-sleep mode to save battery life. The result is a potential battery life of up to 3 years. This device is perfect for periodic tracking of assets on long-haul journeys where frequent reporting is not needed and is perfect for caravans, Trailers, etc.. The second unit is extremely small and designed for short term deployment of up to 3 days, where regular locations are required to ensure a prized asset is not lost, or can be recovered if stolen in transit.

One of the major dilemmas for people who are looking in to Spy Equipment is should they rent or should they buy? With the current economic downturn more and more people are thinking it wiser to simply rent equipment from Private Investigation companies for a while than pay out a larger one off payment. The truth of the matter is that most people, companies included, are usually better off financially if they simply purchase the equipment from the start.

The main equipment for rent are PC monitoring tools, covert vehicle tracking units and SIM card interrogation tools. The PC Monitoring tools are the most common rented equipment, usually in the form of Key Loggers (both USB and PS/2) for recording the key strokes made on a computer keyboard. The renting of these types of unit can range anywhere from £10 a week up to £40 per week, we have even had a customer report being charged £300 per month for a PS/2 key logger. As you can see, in this case, it makes more financial sense to purchase the unit at a slightly higher one off cost than risk spending hundreds in rental costs.

The same can be said for the rental of covert vehicle tracking equipment in that the purchasing cost is higher than the daily rental cost but normally lower than the over all rental cost. The average daily rental price found is around £75 per day, however many people do not realize that investigations companied will also charge a deployment and retrieval fee along with a fee for any monitoring of the trackers locations.

As you see, rental is not always the best option as periods of surveillance lasting longer than a few days can, more often than not, cost more than simply purchasing the equipment.

Fraud experts and business groups have put employers on red alert as the economic downturn forces many workers to find extra cash dishonestly. Recent figures showed that employee fraud has cost UK companies more than £77m in the first half of 2008 - up from just £10m in the same period the previous year. Spiralling personal debt as a result of mortgage, food and fuel price hikes was making workers desperate.
Sadly, commercial organisations throughout the UK are currently failing, in some cases quite spectacularly, to get to grips with the fraudulent activity of their staff.

Spy Equipment UK recognises that with fraud currently being committed by an estimated 1 in 5 staff, employers need all the help available to ‘turn the tide’. By closely monitoring employee activities utilising specialist covert camera equipment and covert vehicle tracking equipment, the employer can gather evidence to tackle the problem head-on. By sending out a clear message to employees that fraud in the workplace is unacceptable, the employer will invariably control the situation and can sometimes drastically reduce operating costs.

Because Spy Shops are not commonplace in every major Town and City, most employers are completely unaware of the cutting-edge technology that is now available to keep an eye on wayward employees. Spy Equipment UK are able to provide assistance and guidance over the telephone so that employers can make sound informed choices.