Mark Basil/CPJ Guest Blogger
Mark Basil’s security career spans nearly 20 years. He served in the U.S. Secret Service, working on anti-terrorism assignments and coordinating covert protection for world leaders. He performed security surveys and vulnerability assessments for those under Secret Service protection. He is now a certified protection professional. He teaches and trains others in security, and provides consulting in identifying security needs and developing security programs.
![Outside the Moscow apartment building of Anna Politkovskaya on the night of her murder in 2006. A ex-police officer pleaded guilty to orchestrating extensive surveillance leading to her slaying. (AP/Dmitry Lovetsky)](https://cpj.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Politkovskaya.ap_.jpg?w=400&h=238&crop=1)
Surveillance detection for journalists in the field
Much has been made recently about the digital surveillance of journalists–and rightly so–but physical surveillance remains a key tactic of security forces, law enforcement, and private entities. These operatives are monitoring journalists, gathering intelligence on them, and potentially obstructing journalists’ work or putting them at risk.