Surveillance Isn’t Random — It’s a Process You Can Break
Surveillance is deliberate.
Contrary to what most believe, you won’t spot it by “feeling watched.” By the time instinct kicks in, the adversary already has multiple observation points, notes on your patterns, and fallback plans for avoiding detection themselves.
Good news: Surveillance is a process — and processes can be broken.
1. The Three Phases of Hostile Surveillance
Distant Observation: Long‑lens photography, vehicle counts, route tracking — usually at a distance, often from public places.
Close‑in Coverage: Direct visual contact, test approaches, or engineered encounters.
Confirm & Commit: Surveillance teams validate movement patterns, choke points, and security gaps before passing data to the action team.
At each phase, there are indicators — if you know what to look for.
2. Indicators That You’re Being Watched
Repetition: The same person, vehicle, or accessory appearing in different places.
Shadowing: Individuals adjusting speed or position to match yours.
Overlapping Coverage: Different people in different locations but sharing the same focus — you.
Surveillance detection isn’t about paranoia — it’s about pattern recognition.
3. Counter‑Surveillance: Your Action Steps
Route Variation: Break predictability by using alternate paths and timings.
Surveillance Detection Runs (SDRs): Intentional movements designed to flush out watchers.
Engage Support: Security drivers, trained team members, or trusted locals to spot and confirm.
Breaking the process early forces an adversary to start over — and that buys you time.
4. Turning Awareness Into Prevention
At Edge Point Group, we train clients to recognize the indicators, test the environment, and make real‑time adjustments that force the adversary to lose position and advantage.
Surveillance starts before you notice. We teach you to notice first.
Schedule a Surveillance Detection Brief to learn the exact steps to identify, confirm, and disrupt surveillance before it escalates.