London Corporate Investigation Case Study

London Corporate Investigation Case Study – Titan Private Investigations

What a Week for Titan’s London Corporate Investigation Team, 2 unusual case studies which break the norm of daily operational demand.

This week Titan’s London Corporate Investigation Team have been run off their feet! The start of the week saw one of our long-standing clients instruct Titan’s London Penetration Testers to attempt to physically penetrate a bank, yes you read that right, a bank! The latter end of the week we were requested to provide a 20 strong surveillance team in London to monitor and record the movement of multiple subjects, yes you read that right too, a 20 strong surveillance team! This was on top of the day to day operational surveillance and process serving demands.

Our London based penetration testing teams are regularly tasked with planning and physically penetrating sensitive corporate buildings in the city, however, this is the first time we’ve been requested to orchestrate an attack on a financial institution. It almost felt wrong, as if we were planning a bank robbery or the Hatton Garden safe deposit burglary. We had to keep reminding ourselves that the bank had requested this and that we had lawful authority.

Information Gathering

The first phase was the information gathering. This was mainly executed by conducting open-source research into the bank’s location, obtaining building interior layouts, clients, staff and any information that could be graded as potentially useful to the penetration.

Vulnerability Analysis

The second phase was the vulnerability analysis stage. This consisted of a number of hours of static observations monitoring multiple exits, paying attention to the routine comings and goings, deliveries, periods of increased footfall, methods of entry, identification passes and monitoring the current security protocols in place. This was a difficult stage, not attracting third party attention, sparking a security alert at the bank or worse still attracting Police attention. Due to the excellent fieldcraft of our expert penetration testers, none of the above was experienced.

Exploitation

This is the planning phase which takes into account all of the information gathered in phases one and two. We settled on 2 methods of penetration. One was an overt method and the second was a covert method.

Overt Penetration Method

We decided on courier delivery. A number of names of current employees were identified in phase one and we had confirmed that one, in particular, was still working at the bank. We entered the bank via a trade entrance and began to relay our cover story to security personnel. Worryingly, we weren’t requested to provide any identification to support the fact that we were in actual fact a bonified courier or indeed who we said we were. We were signed in, in a false name and given a security fob to access the building unaccompanied. Our courier was able to access the desired floor of the bank where there was a reception with a member of staff behind it. We were unable to gain any further access without being observed so the courier withdrew after delivering the parcel.

Covert Penetration Method

The covert method was for the penetration tester to get comfortable in the lobby of the bank close to the security barriers during the busy morning rush of staff entering the building. The penetration tester then selected a victim and brazenly timed his run, following an employee through the security barriers, into the lift and through the security controlled doors to the office. It was a success and we were in! The penetration tester walked around the entire open-plan office with purpose completely unchallenged. Some employees even acknowledged him with a “morning”. He then continued to view unattended open computer monitors, whiteboards with sensitive information displayed and other areas of sensitivity before exiting as he entered.

A complete success!!

Titan then provides a full written report outlining our findings and suggests methods to prevent any future unauthorised penetration.

Do you believe that your business premises are safe or vulnerable to unauthorised penetration?

London Corporate Investigations – 20 Strong London Surveillance Operation

Teams of 4-5 operatives are fairly commonplace in London, but a team of 20 is unheard of in the commercial sector! This is commonplace for government surveillance teams who have the budget to potentially have a 5 strong operations room disseminating intelligence, 2 motorcycles, 10 vehicles and a loggist. In the commercial market where the purse strings are shorter this isn’t commonplace and every operative has to work so much harder as there is no capacity for anyone to be carried.
The main concerns that we had to address during the planning phase of this operation were;

The footprint of the team
20 operatives all in the same place with multiple subjects exiting the same building

Communications
Due to Titan delivering training courses we have in excess of 20 radio terminals. The issue was multiple subjects and only having 4 operational channels.

The trigger
We potentially need to separate into 8 individual teams which will each be allocated a different subject. The issue here will be that there are eight operatives individually identifying their subject and triggering them away to their respective team. That’s eight operatives who will no doubt all choose the same covert trigger position. This would make it not so covert.

Not knowing the modes of transport
Each subject will leave by an unknown means. This could be by a chauffeur, taxi, underground, bus, a personal vehicle parked elsewhere or on foot.

Confusion
With so many operatives on the ground, it could be easy for operatives to resort to thinking “someone else will do that” leading to basic and essential elements of control being lost.

Mobile follow
In London surveillance motorcyclists and cabbies are essential to maintain control. Trying to facilitate the required number on the same days in the same place will be challenging.

Due to the sensitivity of the task, we can’t continue to discuss the particulars of the deployment other than to say that the planning phase ironed out all of these identified areas of difficulty and the 3-day deployment was a complete success.

Titan is an established and fast-growing nationwide surveillance and investigation company with 7 offices and 170 professional and highly qualified operatives. If you have a London Corporate Investigation of whatever size, then contact Titan for an affordable, professional and successful deployment.

How can the Titan’s London Corporate Investigation Team help you?

Call Titan Investigations London office today for a free and totally confidential consultation. You’ll be able to speak to our corporate investigation team who will be happy to help you and advise you. We can arrange a discreet meeting either at Titan’s London office or a location to suit you. Titan Investigations have offices located in London, Cambridge, Leicester, Nottingham, Derby, Sheffield and Leeds giving us a national reach.

London Corporate Investigators – Call our London Office 02039046622

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Cambridge Corporate Investigators – Call our Cambridge Office 01223662022

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Leicester Corporate Investigators – Call our Leicester Office 01162436520

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Nottingham Corporate Investigators – Call our Nottingham Office 01159646950

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Derby Corporate Investigators – Call our Derby Office 01332504256

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Sheffield Corporate Investigators – Call our Sheffield Office 01143499400

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