Kestrel | Case Files
The Kestrel TSCM ® Professional Software has revolutionized the Technical Surveillance Countermeasures (TSCM) industry on a global scale as a truly disruptive new technology.
Professional Development TSCM Group Inc., is pleased to confirm that the Kestrel TSCM ® Professional Software is a 100% Canadian designed and developed TSCM | SIGINT resource utilized for RF detection, monitoring, collection and analysis as a fully scalable platform addressing all known and developing operational threat levels within the public and private sector marketplace.
The following case files illustrate the power, ability and versatility of Kestrel TSCM ® Professional Software to detect, identify, characterize and display signal events in real time, and increase the Probability of Detection (POD) of some potentially hostile signals all within a complex spectrum environment.
Baby Monitor Compromise!
A client contracted for a technical inspection of a large, executive style, 6000 square foot residence due to confirmation that persons unknown were compromising his private, sensitive conversations.
During the inspection, our Technical Security Specialist’s (TSS) deployed the Kestrel TSCM ® Professional Software on the main floor of the residence and completed the RF sweep phase of the assignment.
The RF Spectral Display (RSD) revealed two (2) suspicious signals at 902.5000 MHz and another at 921.6000 MHz.
Live View Analysis (LVA) TM was deployed to review and analyze the signal events without interrupting the live collection process while the Kestrel TSCM ® Professional software was utilized to demodulate the discrete signal events to reveal absolutely astounding, crystal clean, high-quality room audio at 902.5000 MHz coming from a transmitter located on the second floor of the residence.
Further, the device was found to be transmitting on a high power FM carrier, rarely seen in today’s spectrum environment that was sensitive enough to hear even low-level conversations taking place on the main floor of the residence.
The second, wider bandwidth signal event, revealed the telltale signs of a strong near-field NTSC video signal confirmed to be located within a second floor bedroom.
The client was unaware of the existence of a device. Upon inspection, it turned out to be a baby monitor placed by another family member to monitor the children.
This particular baby monitor proved to be one of the most sensitive, high power devices our Technical Security Branch (TSB) TM has ever encountered
The above display also shows a weaker video signal at 909.8500 MHz, as evidenced by the telltale Spectral Average Trace (SAT) and the Kestrel TSCM ® Professional Software Ambient Noise Floor (ANF) trace.
This signal event was unrelated to the client’s residence and determined to be emitting from a nearby residence.
This case file demonstrates that with Kestrel, even the smallest or seemingly insignificant signal is exposed to the technical operator.
Imbedded Video Signal
The Kestrel TSCM ® Professional Software | Signals Intelligence Support System, successfully detected a covert (illegal) video transmitter (wireless spy camera) during a technical security inspection.
Our advanced graphical display options permit the detection and display of multiple layers of friendly and hostile signals collected over time, and not just a single reading in real time, to create and display a clear picture of the complete ambient RF spectrum environment.
While spectrum analyzers allow amazing real-time analysis of signals, the Kestrel software not only provides this too but also develops a clear picture of potentially hostile imbedded signals slowly over a period of time utilizing peak and averaging techniques developed specifically for the Kestrel TSCM ® Professional Software application.
The story of the tortoise and hare might be an appropriate comparative; speed is not always the most important element in the detection and identification of most types of hostile RF signals. However, search speed is essential for burst signals.
There is a legitimate encrypted Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS) signal operating in the 2.4 GHz ISM band (i.e. the Peak Envelope Capture (PEC) trace in displayed in RED).
Several known and verified Wi-Fi channel transmissions are also present along with evidence of Bluetooth.
There is an illegal wireless analog video spy camera transmitting at 2468 MHz (i.e. the Spectral Average Trace (SAT) displayed in BLUE represents the RF signature of the wireless analog spy camera operating at 2468 MHz continuously “over a period of time”).
The Real-time Event (RTE) trace displayed in OLIVE represents signal spikes captured during each sweep. The display indicates a FHSS signal at the moment of capture on the first third of the Graticule.
This unusual level of spectral activity is easy for the technical operator to identify and analyze when the Kestrel TSCM ® Professional Software is utilized.
The key to analysis is not necessary speed for most medium or high threat levels, but rather the ability to control the spectrum display and utilize our unique Live View Analysis (LVA) TM to analyze the spectral data as it is captured.
A post analysis review by the technical operator of the trace data utilizing the Kestrel TSCM ® Professional Software and Live View Analysis (LVA) TM provides the technical operator with the ability to observe all of the various signal types active within the ambient RF spectrum environment.
27 MHz Audio Tx
The Kestrel TSCM ® Professional Software | Signals Intelligence Support System (SISS) successfully detected a covert (illegal) eavesdropping room audio transmitter today during a residential technical security inspection.
The device was ultimately located on the second floor of the residence and identified as a low power analog-based audio transmitter specifically designed as an eavesdropping device. Further inspection revealed that the device, manufactured in March 1970, operated at 27.140 MHz frequency. (Actually, the Kestrel TSCM ® Professional Software identified the frequency as 27.1449 MHz.
A standard 9-volt battery powered the device, however, it was modified to use a power adapter unobtrusively plugged into a wall outlet directly behind a dresser. The device was modified further to utilize a fixed 22-inch hard wire whip antenna positioned horizontally under a dresser drawer approximately 28 inches above the floor.
The device was not detectable beyond approximately 100 feet line of sight. The use of Kestrel ® made detection and analysis straightforward and pinpointed what to look for and where to search.
It is suspected that the device was placed by the client’s spouse as part of an on-going domestic dispute.
DSSS Audio Tx
The Kestrel TSCM ® Professional Software | Signals Intelligence Support System successfully detected a Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum Signal (DSSS) device during a high profile Technical Surveillance Countermeasures (TSCM) inspection.
The above spectral plot demonstrates the awesome ability of the Kestrel TSCM ® Professional Software to detect, capture and display complex modulation signal types in real world working environments, all with a high Probability of Detection (POD) and accuracy at a fraction of the price of other systems due to the availability of low cost SDR radio technology.
NTSC Broadcast Signal
The somewhat boring ATSC digital TV signals observed in the UHF portion of the RF spectrum during sweeps have all but replaced a small number of NTSC Commercial Broadcast stations still alive and kicking.
To my surprise, while instructing at our Resident Training Centre (RTC) TM in Cornwall Ontario Canada, a diligent student participating in the training noted what he thought sounded like an analog TV broadcast while conducting a Differential Signal Analysis (DSA) utilizing the Kestrel TSCM ® Professional Software.
The above spectral plots display an active NTSC Broadcast Signal transmitting at 260 KW with a tower HAAT of 187.5 Meters located just east of our Resident Training Centre (RTC) TM in Cornwall Ontario.
Not fully convinced, I asked for a sample of the audio to be aired and chose to review the signal personally.
There it was, a proud example of the days past when NTSC ruled the RF spectrum environment and made signal analytics interesting.
Excitement filled the classroom as the Advanced Signal Intelligence Database (ASID) TM was consulted.
Additional spectrum captures were taken outside of the shielded classroom environment to ensure that this elusive and historical signal event was preserved, just like the dinosaurs that once roamed the earth and are gone forever.