Due to globalization, decreased employee loyalty and the increasing value of information, corporate espionage is on the rise. At the same time, new technologies are making it easier and more affordable than ever to steal information by tapping into private conversations. Given the potential reward, spies are employing increasingly sophisticated technology that can be difficult to detect.

To fight back against this espionage, companies as well as government agencies are turning to firms that specialize in detecting and removing eavesdropping and other surveillance devices. A major player in this sector is Murray Associates. Based in Oldwick, New Jersey, the 30-year-old company, which is registered as Spybusters, LLC, is seeing heightened demand for its services. The majority of the firm’s clients schedule regular inspections or sweeps for any form of electronic surveillance technology in sensitive areas such as executive suites, boardrooms, trading floors, vehicles and aircraft as well as executive homes and off-site meeting locations.

To dramatically increase the level of confidence in pinpointing wireless listening devices, Spybusters has begun using a Tektronix Real-Time Spectrum Analyzer (RTSA) with unique DPX live RF spectrum display technology. DPX processes more than 48,000 spectrum measurements per second, which is vital to spotting short duration events, and produces a live RF spectrum display that reveals previously unseen RF signals and signal anomalies. The RTSA provides 100 percent probability of intercepting and displaying signals as short as 24 microseconds in duration. In contrast, conventional swept spectrum analyzers typically don’t exceed 50 spectrum measurements per second, opening the window for a signal to elude discovery.

“With the Tektronix RTSA analyzer and its live RF display we can immediately see what’s going on,” said Kevin D. Murray, CPP, founder and president of Murray Associates. “Our confidence level is sky high. Some instruments save time. Others increase effectiveness. This one does both. The RTSA has put us miles ahead. There’s no one who can touch us in terms of our ability to identify wireless devices.”

The signal discovery advantages of DPX live RF display technology are particularly useful in helping Spybusters spot unexpected transient anomalies or find signals hidden within or behind legitimate signals. Beyond finding hidden signals, the RTSA can track down many other signals potentially used in eavesdropping transmissions, including frequency hopping signals, spread spectrum signals, and burst transmission signals, said Tektronix. In addition, the extensive signal analysis capabilities provided by an RTSA can aid in determining the type of device that is creating the signal, added Tektronix.

“Discovering unexpected and difficult to detect signals is one of the many applications where the unique capabilities of Tektronix RTSA enables our customers to be dramatically more effective in doing their jobs,” said Rick King, vice president, Real-Time Spectrum Analyzer product line, Tektronix. “This application showcases the unique advantages of the DPX live RF display technology by providing an immediate view of everything in the spectrum, including signals with complex modulation that are designed to avoid detection.”

www.tektronix.com/rtsa-dpx

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