Countering Ubiquitous Technical Surveillance

Ubiquitous Technical Surveillance (UTS), can enable threat actors with less technical sophistication to connect targeted entities to events or locations, potentially facilitating reconnaissance, harassment, or targeted acts of violence. UTS poses an existential threat to U.S. law enforcement. Its use by drug trafficking organizations, human smuggling rings, and organized criminal enterprises threatens both operational security and officer safety. Yet there is no authoritative guidance outlining how U.S. law enforcement can holistically prevent, identify, and mitigate UTS.

To fill that gap, the Center for Internet Security^® (CIS^®), in partnership with the Major County Sheriffs of America (MCSA) and the Association of Law Enforcement Intelligence Units (LEIU), initiated the National Working Group on Countering UTS. The working group, comprised of officials from law enforcement agencies across the United States, developed Countering Ubiquitous Technical Surveillance: Facts, Findings, and Recommendations for U.S. Law Enforcement to serve as a comprehensive playbook for countering UTS.