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VERRIMUS LTD, THE company whose sweep of the Garda Siochána Ombudsman Commission’s offices led to a surveillance controversy, has responded to the Cooke Report.
The security specialist was tasked last year to conduct surveys to identify all possible technical surveillance vulnerabilities to the security of critical information within the GSOC offices.
It said today that “it was never part of Verrimus’ remit to investigate and uncover the source of any possible surveillance threat”.
The Cooke Report found no evidence to support any claims of surveillance by members of the force.
Verrimus said that it carried out full and structured Technical Surveillance Counter Measures operations (TSCM – a counter espionage function) at the offices.
In relation to the TCSM operations, reports and evidence delivered by Verrimus, its professional competence, standards and methodology were independently reviewed and verified by a specialised TSCM company.
“This intelligent and accurate peer review was welcomed by Verrimus and we are pleased to see it referred to in the Cooke Report,” it said.
Vulnerabilities
According to Verrimus, the three vulnerabilities it identified during the TSCM operations at the offices “are indicative of methods that can be used by person(s) outside an organisation to gather critical information from within”.
Verrimus said it agrees with the Cooke Report comment that in the “world of covert surveillance and counter surveillance techniques, it is ultimately extremely difficult to determine with complete certainty whether unexplained anomalies of the kinds identified in this instance were or were not attributable to unlawful intrusion”.
Investigations to prove or disprove whether such vulnerabilities are associated with a criminal act can only effectively be carried out by properly qualified and experienced counter intelligence investigators in a timely response to presented evidence.
Verrimus said it is reassured by the recommendations, which mirror those it provided after its operations, that GSOC should act to improve existing security arrangements, act to resolve the vulnerabilities identified and conduct regular counter surveillance examinations of its offices.
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Verrimus. Ex British Spooks. 100% Honest and reliable so…….
Ireland moving on a progressive modern country? Your comment and Enda not suggesting so …
Why are people going out of their way to make Verrimus look bad? They never implicated anyone.. not did they trigger the suspicions of GSOC.
It’s quite interesting the number of people who have commented on Verrimus in the recent days. One would almost be tempted to call it astroturfing. The issue really really shouldn’t be about the findings of that company.. they can not and have not been shown to be false or misleading.
People have lost sight of the main issue altogether.. GSOC believed that a breach had taken place because some Gardai knew about stuff they shouldn’t have known about. Did Cooke address this at all? =/
Is there someone in GSOC leaking info, are the media somehow implicit? The entire report just addresses presuppositions that people had made, without actually getting to the bottom of anything, and it raises more questions than it answers.
Verrimus are experienced professionals in this field. If you read the Cooke report you will see that they performed their duties properly and co-operated fully with Cooke. I’m a techie and I could tell that these guys really know what they are talking about. In my opinion, anyone who is trying to discredit them, or their findings must have a vested interest. If you read the full report and you think that there was no surveillance, then you are an idiot.
The Cooke report is a very well orchastrated attempt to deliver facts which cannot be argued whilst ignoring a huge amount of unadressed issues.
I’ve read a lot of things from a lot of sources and the more I read, the more the Cooke report seems like a wishy washy but cleverly written document.
It’s basically the “Nothing to see here, move along” report.
So they people paid to look into this said it was never in their remit, the people who were been bugged said they weren’t been bugged and the people doing the bugging said they didn’t , I am glad that’s all cleared up then, all this from a judge, sounds about right
LM Group’s daily rant…like clockwork!
Mark, I presume you are a guard, I only deal with facts, something the guards no nothing about,
what fact??
Is that you Boylan , how’s the new truck going
I’m not really sure who’s patronising who here…
This is so typical. The deniers out in full force. It’s a cover up. It’s a conspiracy. It’s a …. whatever you’re having yourself. Risible. Move along there lads. You’re embarrassing yourselves – again.
Thats right John because past and present governments have an umblemished record when it comes to uncovering the truth on their own misgivings don’t they?
have your say