Tracking and blocking illicit mobile phone use in restricted areas is an ongoing task for many working in industries such as defence, national security and prisons. The need to keep mobile phones out of restricted areas and out of the hands of those with no authority to use them is obvious.

However, the use of mobile devices to communicate confidential information or to conduct illicit criminal activity is unfortunately all too common. Putting the safety and security of others at risk.

Then on top of this, there is the additional threat to national security and commercial organisations from hidden bugs that use mobile phone GSM technology.

These GSM bugging devices have been cleverly adapted to use mobile phone technology and networks to listen into and relay live audio. GSM based bugs are small, simple to deploy, require very little power and are accessible from anywhere in the world, making them one of the most common threats to privacy and security.

The latest generations of GSM bugs are getting ever more sophisticated. They can use motion and vibration detection to sense when a room under surveillance becomes occupied. Eavesdroppers can also use multi-switchable microphone inputs to listen in to conversations being held in different locations. And if undiscovered, GSM bugging devices can be more or less left on permanently to capture vast amounts of information over very long periods of time.

Detecting illicit or unauthorised mobile phone use and the presence of GSM bugs is difficult as their signals are easily lost among the background hum of legitimate GSM and mobile communications.

The good news is that counter surveillance technology is developing rapidly too. Systems are now available to detect, identify and locate even the most sophisticated GSM transmitters.

SearchLight is one such modern mobile phone and GSM detection and location system being used by counter surveillance professionals. The advantage of systems such as Searchlight are that they can distinguish between legitimate and unauthorised mobile phone signals and detect the presence of covert GSM bugging devices, even they are not in use.

When a hostile device has been detected it can be pinpointed to a precise location and jammed or allowed to continue working so that the eavesdroppers can be caught or fed false information.

In instances where continuous monitoring of mobile phone and GSM activity is essential, Searchlight can be permanently installed. Working as an umbrella coverage tool Searchlight will continually check for devices and alert staff as soon an an unauthorised phone or bug enters the exclusion zone. Enabling swift defensive action to take place before hostile activity becomes a real problem.