Cell Phone Surveillance

A good way to keep tabs on a target is to use their cell phone. Any recently manufactured cell phone has a built-in tracking device, which can allow you to pinpoint someone's location to within just a few feet. If you need more information on your target, create a "roving bug". This involves activating their cell phone remotely and listening in on conversations.

Baby Cam

Awhile ago there was news story about a woman who caught thieves by using a camera in her house that connected to the Internet and sent her video feed. Good idea. Internet cameras can be purchased cheaply and quickly installed. Even baby cams can work well for snooping.

On the flip side, if your computer has a built-in camera. keep it covered. People can hack into your camera and spy on you. They watch you type if you are not careful. This especially applies to support people. When you call a company like HP or Gateway, concerning problems with installing something such as a printer, they can tap into your computer and without you knowing it, link to you video cam. Bad business. They can steal all of the money in your online accounts.

Remember this: always cover yourself.

Tradecraft

As a spy, intelligence gathering is critical. This can take the form of recordings, intercepting transmissions or surveillance. To the point, there are certain "Trades" that are critical. These are known as "tradecraft" and include "covert entry" (which includes lock picking http://www.scribd.com/doc/7207/CIA-Lock-Picking-Field-Operative-Training-Manual), surveillance, counter-surveillance (I'll talk about gadgets at a later time) as well as "cover identities".

No matter what, assume that while you are applying elements of Tradecraft, someone else is also.

If your cover is blown, spies are trained in SERE which takes the form of either Survive, Evade, Resist, Escape or Survive, Evade, Resist, Extract.

Interrogation techniques are another important aspect of Tradecraft to use. If by chance your cover is blown and you are detained, remember, "Say Nothing!

I could go on but along with intelligence gathering are two more very important Tradecraft items include cryptology and cryptanalysis.

Life of Lies

There are many identities and many stories. One thing a spy must do is keep them straight; and be willing to change your complete identity last minute. Know the names and know the matching life stories; and when someone recognizes you know which identity they know. Sounds simply? Try it for twenty years.

Show Time

It starts with a dead drop. Look for an innocent chalk mark on a wall, post, or ground; or a dead animal even. It might appear slightly out of place. Keep your eye on it. Within 24 hours a vertical chalk mark may become crossed or made horizontal or the dead animal removed. Look for a normal looking person, hanging around one of the above, doing something inconspicuous.

The dead drop is just a signal that information was placed and the opposite, was received. The actual information is in a known location. The dead drop just signals "message placed" and "message received". Then, upon retrieval, it's show time. Oh yes. There are more high-tech methods, but the old school (not so old by the way) are often the best.

Good Cop/ Bad Cop

Everyone has heard of good cop/bad cop interrogation but I am not sure they understand what it means. It would be more appropriately labeled friend/foe interrogation or "let's play games with your psyche."

The idea is one interrogator is rough, stressing the person being interrogated. They wheedle them looking for reaction letting them know weak points. Their goal is to take the victim to the brink of breaking. The other interrogator acts friendly so as time passes and the victim gets closer and closer to breaking they will psychologically need "their friend" more and more. When the two are alternated, chances are the victim will give the requested information either to the foe or the friend. Very effective. Mission accomplished.

The Truth...The Lie

To clarify. When I call myself a spy it can be confusing. I might be an intelligence gatherer, who has assets, who is also termed "spy"; but not directly employed by an agency. Or I might be an asset. In the former, I'm known as the organization's handler. To make it clear, in "Burn Notice", Michael is an asset. From time to time they "burn" an asset when the assets is suspected of being unreliable. I have been involved with recruiting, training and looking after my assets. Sometimes, though, I have to abandon and deny an asset's existence; as I have had to deny my own. Sometimes, I have been the asset. Confusing albeit. It's covert and it's supposed to be. Being a spy means living a lie. It's all covert. It's not for everyone. By the way, if you are a "Bond" fan, I am now able to tell you there is an MI6(SIS).

Enjoy the shows, but follow me.

Why

Why would I want to do a blog? The Internet is an interesting place. A person can have almost complete anonymity. In fact, that is how many people get into trouble with the Internet. They think they know the person on the other end. Guess again.

Another reason is the show "Burn Notice".. An ad caught my attention so i watched it (as I am now retired I have enough time to watch TV; although I do not watch much because I think most of it is boring.) Not a bad show but it had some things wrong. I thought I could supplement and correct the show. People might get something from it, too.

People Have Asked Me

I could go on forever about the things people have asked me and the lies I have given.

1. What job do you do?
2. Where do you work?
3. Why do you travel os much?
4. How did you get such a great car? ...

The list is long, too long, to put here in totality. Being a spy is hard.