Vehicle Tracking for Investigations in the UK Legal Considerations for Private Investigators, Councils and Housing Associations Disclaimer: This guide is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Organisations should seek independent legal advice before deploying vehicle tracking devices in investigations. Executive Summary The use of GPS vehicle tracking devices in the UK is subject to a combination of: Data protection: The UK's data protection legis

✅ DO Do have a legitimate reason Only carry out covert surveillance where there is a clear, lawful, and justifiable purpose, such as investigating suspected fraud, gathering evidence for legal proceedings, or protecting legitimate business interests. Do complete a DPIA Assess the privacy risks before surveillance begins. Consider whether the activity is necessary, proportionate, and legally justified. Do consider less intrusive alternatives Ask whether the objective could be

Understanding the Legal Considerations When Gathering Evidence in Anti-Social Behaviour Cases Housing providers across the UK face increasing pressure to tackle anti-social behaviour (ASB), tenancy breaches, environmental crime and community safety concerns. Residents rightly expect action when persistent nuisance or criminality affects their quality of life, yet obtaining the evidence required to support enforcement action can often be challenging. In some cases, housing off

One of the first questions potential clients ask SIASS is: "How much does covert surveillance cost?" It's a perfectly reasonable question, but unfortunately there is no simple answer. Unlike many products or services, professional covert surveillance cannot be priced using a standard rate card. Every investigation presents unique challenges, objectives, risks and operational requirements. The cost of a surveillance operation depends entirely on what evidence needs to be obtai

Do You Have Concerns About Businesses Such as Barbers or Nail Bars on Your Local High Street? Across the UK, many high streets have seen a noticeable increase in barbershops, nail bars, and similar cash-based businesses. While many of these establishments are entirely legitimate and hardworking local enterprises, some residents are beginning to question whether all such premises are operating as they appear. Recently, SIASS was approached by a local residents’ group who were

Facebook Marketplace Scams: What You Need to Know Before It Costs You Money Facebook Marketplace has become a popular place to buy and sell everything from furniture to vehicles. Unfortunately, it has also become a hotspot for increasingly sophisticated scams. At SIASS, we are seeing a growing number of cases where people are being misled, financially harmed, and left with little recourse. This article highlights some of the most common Facebook Marketplace scams currently ci

In today’s world, security threats are more sophisticated and harder to detect than ever before. Whether you work in corporate security, government, or private investigation, understanding how to identify and counteract electronic surveillance is crucial. That’s why SIASS has partnered with Verrimus, specialists in Technical Surveillance Countermeasures (TSCM), to offer commercial TSCM training designed specifically for professionals like you. This collaboration brings togeth

Empowering Landlords and Communities to Act Against Anti-Social Behaviour — with SIASS by Your Side The Housing Ombudsman’s latest “Learning from Severe Maladministration” report delivers a crucial warning to social landlords: antisocial behaviour (ASB) and hate crime remain persistently mishandled, with devastating consequences for residents. The report calls for robust recording, action plans, risk assessments, repairs coordination—and most importantly, proactive, data-driv

Organisations often invest heavily in protecting themselves from cyber criminals and external attacks. However, some of the greatest risks can come from individuals already inside the business. An insider threat is anyone with legitimate access to systems, data, or facilities who uses that access in a way that damages the organisation. This could be intentional — for example, theft of intellectual property — or unintentional, such as an employee inadvertently sharing sensitiv

The dictionary definition of SOCIAL ENGINEERING, for the purposes of information security, is: “the use of deception to manipulate...

Private intelligence agencies, such as SIASS the North East's premier commercial technical support unit, are relieving the pressure on UK police resources, local government departments and other agencies. Everyone in the UK understands that for sometime our local Governments and other agencies have been struggling for funding. Some have seen their budgets slashed during austerity measures. The public have been increasingly contacting private intelligence agencies, private inv