Why Doesn’t Verrimus offer Equipment-Specific Operational TSCM Training?
The short answer is we offer objective TSCM training, because we aren’t a sales team trying to earn a commission from equipment sales! Verrimus do offer equipment training for clients who wish to learn more about how to use TSCM equipment they have already purchased.
The detailed answer is that a Technical Surveillance Counter Measures operation is about measurements, observations, interpretation and analysis of threat domains. There are lots of pieces of equipment that take measurements, and display information and every piece of equipment requires a TSCM operator. A TSCM operator uses their experience, knowledge and analytical skills to detect, identify and pin-point locate technical surveillance attacks.
What’s Objective TSCM Training?
Of course, an equipment manufacturer will say that they provide operational TSCM courses. What they actually provide will be a course centred around what THEIR equipment CAN achieve. They will ultimately want to encourage further sales of their equipment. That’s perfectly understandable, that’s business! Every aspect of their ‘operational’ TSCM courses will focus on the equipment that they sell. They will take a student through each function, each combination of ways to operate their equipment. Most will not disclose or discuss any potential limitations of their equipment. They are unlikely to objectively compare and contrast their equipment against other similar equipment. Ask them ‘how did their NLJD (for example) fair when tested against 3 other NLJDs not sold by them’? Have they got the comparison results for you to view? Rarely will they direct a TSCM practitioner to consider alternative pieces of equipment, which may better fit certain deployments, or intended uses. Or even mention other equipment, which compliments the use of equipment that they do sell. This is to be expected. They need to sell their equipment!
Verrimus are not an equipment sales team – that is not our focus! We don’t have equipment sales targets. We objectively want our clients to select whatever equipment best fits their operational requirements.
All Verrimus Operational TSCM training clients learn to approach a TSCM operation by assessing and examining each threat domain. Understanding each threat domain and the measurements required to effectively detect and identify an attack on that domain, means the operator can select what equipment they employ to best fit their operational requirements.
Our instructors have spent a lot of time assessing and evaluating TSCM equipment to ensure that our Verrimus TSCM operational services, which we deliver to our commercial clients, are fit for purpose. We encourage all TSCM teams to evaluate what works well for them and what is unnecessary, limited or a hindrance to their overall objective of detecting, identifying and pin-point locating TSCM attacks.
All TSCM operational teams will have their own preferences regarding what TSCM equipment they select, but that preference should always be based on what works best for the threat domain, deployment factors and operational objectives – NOT on whether a sales team tell you it’s what you need!