Protecting conversations

You need to protect your important information from being overheard or recorded.

You must develop procedures for protecting conversations that involve sensitive or protectively-marked information.

It is much easier to record a conversation than it is to record a laptop screen, so conducting these conversations in unsecured places is very risky.

The following measures may reduce the threat of conversations being accidentally overheard or recorded.

Avoid high-risk areas

Remind your people that high-risk conversations, including phone calls, should not be held in hire cars, taxis, shuttles, official vehicles, hotel rooms, or conference rooms unless measures are in place to ensure audio security. These areas are at high-risk of audio surveillance.

Also discourage your people from holding sensitive conversations or conversations involving classified information in closed public spaces while sitting or standing in one place, as the conversations can easily be overheard or recorded. Discussing classified information in public, on aircraft, in airport lounges, while at the local café, or in other locations known to be frequented by your people puts this information at significant risk and should be discouraged.

Use secure facilities when possible

The risk of audio interception is greatly increased when travelling overseas. Advise your people to use secure facilities for conversations or phone calls involving sensitive or classified information whenever possible. Using the secure facilities of an allied government is acceptable if the facilities are accredited to the appropriate level and the information being discussed is permitted to be shared with that government.

Use an open area

When no secure facility is available and a conversation or phone call is essential, direct your people to find an open public place, such as a park or open area. They should then talk while walking, being careful to ensure the conversation is not overheard by casual observers.

Parks and open areas offer the greatest protection from casual audio surveillance. 'White noise', such as running water from fountains, may also make it harder for someone to remotely record a conversation without specialist equipment.

Protect classified information

‘Audio secure areas’ are used to keep conversations involving classified information secure.

Outside these areas, it may be impossible to prevent determined adversaries, including foreign intelligence services, from listening in. You should only allow conversations involving classified information to happen outside audio secure areas if it is critical to an operation. 

For SECRET information, seek advice from the originator of the information before you allow any conversations outside of audio secure areas.

For TOP SECRET information, seek advice from the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service and the originating organisation before you allow any conversations outside of audio secure areas.

Page last modified: 4/05/2022