CFA Surveillance Techniques & Methods Flashcards
6 cards from real CFA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 CFA Surveillance Techniques & Methods flashcards as text
Static surveillance is most effectively used for which primary purpose?
Answer: Monitoring a fixed location to observe who enters, exits, or meets at that location
Static surveillance excels at monitoring fixed locations — documenting everyone who visits, establishing patterns of life, and identifying contacts at a known address.
What is the term for using a decoy operative to test whether a subject is surveillance-aware?
Answer: Provocation test
A provocation test involves deliberately exposing a decoy operative to the subject to observe whether the subject reacts in ways that indicate counter-surveillance awareness.
Which piece of information is MANDATORY to record in every entry of a surveillance log?
Answer: Exact time and precise location of each observed event
Every surveillance log entry must include the exact time and precise location of each observed event, as these are the foundational elements for any legal or intelligence use of the record.
What is the primary operational disadvantage of single-operator surveillance?
Answer: The subject is far more likely to detect the lone operative, and there is no ability to rotate or reacquire if contact is lost
Single-operator surveillance dramatically increases detection risk because the same person must maintain continuous proximity, and there is no team to reacquire the subject if contact is lost.
Which type of surveillance involves lawfully monitoring a subject's electronic communications with appropriate legal authorization?
Answer: Technical surveillance or signals intelligence collection
Technical surveillance or signals intelligence involves the lawful, authorized monitoring of a subject's electronic communications such as telephone, email, or internet activity.
What does 'box surveillance' mean in field operations?
Answer: Surrounding a subject with multiple operatives covering all cardinal directions to ensure coverage regardless of which way the subject moves
Box surveillance deploys operatives on all sides of a subject so that regardless of which direction they turn or travel, a team member is already positioned to maintain coverage.