Handbook of Surveillance Technologies (3rd Ed) - The Real Faces of ...

Handbook of Surveillance Technologies
The TEAL Team, Inc. (TTT) - The Cavalry Security Group provides advanced security
training and consulting in high-risk tasks such as hostage rescue and hijacking response. Services
are aimed at governments, law enforcement units, emergency response units, and large
corporations. TTT claims that the staff includes senior experts drawn from organizations such
as the Secret Service, FBI, SEALs, etc.
In the surveillance industry, there are also ‘shadow’ organizations that are often loosely affiliated
with large contractors, but which keep a low profile. These companies typically market
covert services and technologies.
7. Problems and Limitations
Each chapter in this book has a section on problems and limitations that are specific to the
technologies discussed in that chapter.
8. Restrictions and Regulations
The more relevant or interesting legal issues related to particular technologies are summarized
in each chapter.
Some issues of general interest with regard to surveillance, information access, and privacy
are described here. This is a sampling—it is in no way complete; those seeking further information
are encouraged to consult government and public legal archives on the Internet and in local
libraries. (See also the Cryptologic Surveillance chapter for computer-related legislation.)
National Security Act of 1947. USC, Title 50. Enacted and amended in 1947, this act was
intended to promote national security by providing for a Secretary of Defense, a National
Military Establishment, a Department of the Navy, and a Department of the Air Force,
and for coordination of activities. It also established the Central Intelligence Agency
(CIA). The act represented a significant reorganization of military establishments and
foreign policy priorities, and created new institutions.
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). USC, Title 5, Subsection 552. Enacted by the U.S.
Government in 1966 to grant individuals the right to request access to information or
records held or controlled by federal executive branch agencies upon submission of a
written request. The Act stipulated nine exemptions and three exclusions. The exemptions
generally cover issues relating to physical and financial security, including national
defense and foreign relations, inter/intra-agency communications, internal rules
and practices, trade and financial secrets, law enforcement investigative information,
and geological information on oil wells. The FOIA “does not apply to Congress, the
courts, or the immediate office of the White House, nor does it apply to records of state
or local governments.” Most states enacted FOIA-type statutes which can generally be
queried by writing to the state Attorney General. FOIA requests must be made in writing
to the relevant federal agency. There is no initial fee to make a request. Search fees
have more than doubled since the first edition of this book was released, now typically
ranging from $23 to $83/hour plus $0.10/page copying fees, with the first two hours of
search and 100 pages of copying gratis for noncommercial requests. Response is up to
10 working days. Fee waivers may be requested for information that primarily benefits
public rather than commercial interests.
Privacy Act. Public Law 93-579. USC, Title 5, Subsection 552a. The U.S. Government
acknowledges that it compiles federal records on individuals, including taxpayers, people
in the military or employed by federal agencies, and those who receive social benefits
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