Counter-Surveillance Services
Counter-surveillance services assess concerns that a person, family or property is being watched. Agree a focused observation brief, clear reporting and practical next steps for your protection team.
Which service fits the concern?
Counter surveillance, countersurveillance and anti-surveillance are terms clients may use for the same concern. The first discussion establishes what has happened and which type of work could answer the question.
Concern about being watched or followed
A counter-surveillance brief assesses reported observation around a principal, journey or relevant location. Agree the protective purpose, coverage and route for reporting significant findings.
See counter-surveillance deliverablesConcern about listening devices
A technical concern needs a separate TSCM brief. Pegasus scopes and coordinates the instruction; a trusted third-party specialist carries out the technical work.
Explore TSCM and bug sweepingAn investigative question about someone else
A surveillance instruction gathers observations to address an agreed investigative question. The purpose and authority are assessed before any work is proposed.
Explore surveillance servicesOnline threats or unwanted attention
A concern involving publicly available online material may need a threat-monitoring brief. Define the people, sources and decisions in scope, alongside existing protective arrangements.
Explore threat monitoring and OSINTIntelligence · Context · Protective decisions
Counter-surveillance for private clients, families and advisers
A repeated presence near a property, an unusual approach or a concern about a principal’s movements can prompt a request for reassurance. Those observations need context. They should be assessed carefully before intent is attributed or additional protection is commissioned.
Pegasus Ops scopes counter-surveillance services for private clients, families and their advisers. The starting point is the specific concern: what has been observed, where it affects the client, who is responsible for existing protection and what decision the proposed work is intended to support.
The brief can connect a review of the reported concern with appropriately authorised protective observation. Personnel, locations, working periods, reporting and the response to a significant observation are agreed for the instruction.
Keep observation connected to a protective purpose
Assessment of the reported concern
Review the information already available, the circumstances in which it was recorded and the practical effect on the client. The assessment identifies what can be established, where evidence is limited and whether a further defined instruction is appropriate.
Principal and family movements
Where protective observation is justified, agree how it fits around the principal’s movements and existing close-protection arrangements. Coverage should have a clear purpose and reporting route, with duties distinguished from those of the protection team.
Homes and other relevant locations
A concern near a residence, workplace or planned engagement may require a location-specific brief. We establish permissions, boundaries and coordination with those responsible for the property or venue before work proceeds.
Reporting and further protective decisions
Record relevant observations objectively and explain their significance and limitations. Any recommendation for more coverage, a change to arrangements or referral to another professional should follow from the findings and the agreed scope.
What your engagement can deliver
- A clear instruction and coverage planThe protective purpose, people and locations in scope, working periods, responsibilities and agreed limits.
- A reporting and escalation structureAn authorised contact, the information to report and how a significant observation will be communicated.
- An objective observation recordRelevant findings recorded in the agreed format, with observations distinguished from assumptions about identity or intent.
- An assessment briefingAn explanation of what the work established, what remains unresolved and how the findings relate to the original concern.
- Recommendations proportionate to the findingsPractical next steps for the client or existing protection team, with additional work proposed separately where needed.
- Defined review and handover arrangementsThe conclusion of the instruction, how records are provided and the changes that would justify a new assessment.
From the first conversation to a defined instruction
01 · Establish what has happened
Share a broad outline, the general location, timing and any immediate concern. We discuss existing security arrangements and the information needed to assess a suitable protective instruction.
02 · Agree purpose and coverage
The proposal sets out duties, permissions, personnel, duration, reporting, fees and any relevant specialist support. The client understands what the team is being instructed to establish.
03 · Review the findings
Observations are reported through the agreed route. The assessment explains limitations and the basis for any further protective recommendation, rather than allowing an uncertain concern to become an indefinite deployment.
Intelligence that supports the wider plan
Research and protective observation can inform family-office security, close protection and residential security. The proposed brief identifies where information is needed and who is responsible for acting on it.
For a related requirement, explore threat monitoring and OSINT or private investigations.
The National Protective Security Authority provides public guidance on personal safety and security for high-risk individuals. A Pegasus engagement follows the particular concern and agreed protective purpose.
Questions before you instruct us
What is counter-surveillance?
In this service, counter-surveillance means a defined protective assessment and observation brief concerning possible unwanted surveillance of a client or relevant location. The purpose, authority and reporting arrangements are agreed before any operational work begins.
How is it different from surveillance services?
A surveillance instruction gathers observations to answer an investigative question. A counter-surveillance brief concerns possible observation of the principal or their environment and its implications for protection. The assessment establishes which service fits the client’s concern.
Can you work with our existing protection team?
Yes. A proposed assignment can be coordinated with existing close-protection, residential or private-office arrangements. Roles, reporting and responsibility for action must be clear so observations reach the people authorised to make protective decisions.
Does an unusual observation prove someone is following me?
No. A repeated presence or unfamiliar person can have more than one explanation. We consider context and available information, distinguish facts from interpretation and explain what further assessment could reasonably establish.
Is bug sweeping included?
Technical surveillance countermeasures (TSCM), often called bug sweeping, is a separate specialist instruction. Pegasus Ops scopes and coordinates the brief; a trusted third-party specialist carries out the technical work. Explore our TSCM and bug sweeping service for the delivery arrangements and scope.
Can this support a concern involving a home or estate?
A location-specific brief may sit alongside residential security or a security risk assessment. We establish who controls the location and how the proposed work connects with property staff and existing security arrangements.
How are counter-surveillance services priced?
The quote reflects the objective, number of relevant locations, personnel, working periods, preparation and reporting. We agree the scope, fee and expenses before deployment. Availability and the practical requirements for international assignments are confirmed for the instruction.
Discuss the concern. Define the right response.
Outline what was observed, when it happened, the general locations involved and any existing protection arrangements. Include a safe way to contact you. We will assess the enquiry and agree how supporting information should be reviewed before proposing work.
If there is immediate danger, contact the relevant emergency services. A website enquiry does not establish an emergency response channel.