Creating protected conference rooms

Introduction

Nowadays, the existence of information—especially secret or classified information—and its use at a specific time and place often provides the holder with a significant, sometimes irreplaceable, advantage. The acquisition and even electronic transmission of sensitive information is no longer a major obstacle.

Today, there is a concrete need for personal and meaningful communication, where the topic of discussion and its details are guaranteed to be shared exclusively among the parties present, and the information disclosed remains strictly within this confidential environment. This is achieved by completely excluding any third parties or information-gathering technologies.

The aim is to create an environment suitable for confidential communication or activities.

Through a multi-step process (assessment, analysis, design, and implementation, etc.), it becomes possible to define and establish the desired security level. To achieve this security level, a ratio or value metric must be determined that balances the value and usability of the information to be protected against the costs involved in establishing, maintaining, and enhancing the required security level. Following this, the guarding and protection of the secured meeting room and its operation should be designed cost-effectively—neither over- nor under-developed—and guaranteed by the available asset protection, measurement, and electrotechnical equipment.

 

Key Steps

After initial contact, conduct the necessary informational, technical, security, and legal consultations. Plan a vulnerability assessment and carry it out both inside and outside the building. Design the security area, including priority protection zones—specifically controlling and restricting access for authorized and unauthorized persons.

Determine the ideal and exact location of the protected meeting room, which can significantly influence the applicability of subsequent security technologies, solutions, and protocols.Assess, design, and implement mechanical protection. Mechanical protection includes any devices, technologies, engineering, or architectural solutions that delay or prevent intentional unlawful acts aimed at threatening the existence or operation of an asset.

 

Establish combined technical and live guarding

Technical guarding: A 24-hour video surveillance system with continuous recording is recommended to ensure constant monitoring, similar to the overall site security system. The CCTV system should be designed to cover the space between the protected room and the exterior masonry, generating an alarm if an incident occurs. To further enhance security, an independent electronic alarm system should also be installed.

Live guarding: This is indispensable. Newly created and trained personnel may be integrated into the existing guarding team. Once properly trained and authorized, these staff members perform their duties following a protocol specifically developed and practiced for this task.

A basic requirement is also the installation of an access control system that accurately defines access permissions and logs all entries and exits.

 

Technical activities as well as data protection EM shielding with shell protection:

In addition to blocking radiated electromagnetic signals, electromagnetic room shielding also protects sensitive devices, computers, and safety-critical equipment from external radiated and conducted electromagnetic effects. Natural phenomena, such as lightning, solar flares, and artificial sources such as nuclear explosions or portable pulse generators, can cause disturbances.

Regardless of the source of the electromagnetic fields, the protection method remains the same: the room must be shielded. In practice, shielding with 40–60 dB attenuation provides protection against electromagnetic fields from natural sources. Artificial sources require stronger shielding – typically 80–100 dB attenuation – to guarantee the operation of IT equipment and the integrity of data.

1. Highest level of protection against interception

A windowless room with 80–100 dB passive electromagnetic shielding, combined with switchable active radio frequency jamming. Perimeter walls, ceiling, and equipment are enhanced with high acoustic attenuation and active white noise protection, along with ultrasonic protection against data recording. Mechanical protection is provided within the security zone.
 We also recommend installing certified mechanical protection (anti-intrusion and bullet-resistant) in the walls to prevent break-ins within the protected area.

Plus life safety
Life safety is also a critical consideration for such meetings. To protect human life and health, the meeting room can be equipped with air filtration systems, as well as poison gas and radiation monitoring and alarm systems. “Airport-style” screening gates may also be installed. Due to the higher level of protection they offer, windowless rooms are recommended.

2. Level of protection omitting one of the above
This may be due to a compromise situation, e.g. a room with windows or a heritage-listed space. In this case, the maximum EM attenuation to be expected is typically 50–60 dB, or even less in extreme scenarios, and in such cases, active radio signal suppression becomes essential.

A protected meeting room with windows usually incurs higher design costs, which may rise further if the interior architecture must be designed in such a way that security elements are concealed during standard (non-secure) meeting use. Doors must form a mechanically and information-security consistent surface with the surrounding walls.

Electromagnetic shielding of the room, along with acoustic protection of the walls and complementary white noise protection, are integral to the space.Radio wave jamming and sound recording interference can be provided via mobile devices, but since these are classified as military equipment, they are subject to licensing. They must also be used in a way that prevents their signals from leaking beyond the room, making EM shielding layers necessary.

There are partial mobility options for EM protection, e.g. "room-in-room" solutions such as prefabricated modular shielded enclosures. These can achieve the required attenuation levels, though they come with the drawback of less aesthetic cladding possibilities and higher material costs.

In practice, this means that the space to be protected will be "encapsulated": wall surfaces will be covered with shielding, windows will be replaced with units providing adequate RF attenuation, and communication via the terminating electrical/computer/telephone networks will be blocked by properly rated filter elements. The air-conditioning and heating systems will also be shielded, eliminating the possibility of communication through them. It is therefore advisable to design these rooms for long-term use and in the most suitable location.

Passive protection is preferably installed during the construction phase, but can, of course, be retrofitted.

Each stage of the work requires a professional mindset, expertise, and rigorous quality assurance by experienced specialists. The applied installation standards and practices should also be tailored to the specific characteristics of the site.

After completing all activities, a formal, expert-certified measurement report is prepared on the completed secure meeting room and handed over to the client.

The clarification of the concept of guarantee, the explanation of its content, and the potential future upgrades of the protected meeting room represent the final phase of the process — from the initial consultation and site assessment through the theoretical and practical implementation all the way to this concluding stage.

Concluding  thoughts: the solutions applied are in line with current technologies and methodologies. However, future developments may bring tools capable of bypassing today's protections. Therefore, the ongoing, interconnected process of monitoring, testing, and development is indispensable.

 

Active protection

Technology has advanced and transformed at such a pace and sophistication that information is now available in retrievable and recordable form not only at the point of origin, but virtually anywhere in the world — significantly increasing the risk of information leakage. With the aid of human ingenuity and global access to technical and specialized surveillance equipment, adversaries will inevitably identify and ruthlessly exploit these security gaps.

It is important to remember that the digital recording and transmission of data within ICT systems is an inherent, intentional function of modern technologies. For this reason, it is extremely difficult to prevent the selective infiltration of information into systems — and to control its spread once inside.

A combined, multi-layered defense strategy, which has been repeatedly emphasized, may be the only truly effective security structure.

Accordingly, once the passive protection of the secured meeting space has been implemented and the technical handover of the area completed, the next step is to verify the pre-planned active protection concept, followed by the installation, commissioning, and testing of the selected security devices.

The successful implementation of active protection depends significantly on the structural characteristics of the room in question.
This phase represents the final — and equally indispensable — component of a comprehensive protective framework.

For active protection, so-called ultrasonic units are effective. These devices emit stochastic high-frequency noise above the audible range, which blocks the microphones of recording devices (listening devices, voice recorders, mobile phones, etc.), resulting in only a loud buzzing sound being recorded. The drawback of this technical solution is that it can only block the recording device if its microphones are reached by ultrasonic noise. Therefore, the most effective and real-time defense is achieved by simultaneously deploying multiple such specialized devices throughout the protected area, ensuring no blind spots.

Active protection includes the following solutions, in addition to the previously mentioned security systems (access/intrusion detectors and access gates):

  • Protection of glass surfaces through the use of transducer systems;
  • External perimeter walls and utility pipelines made impervious to stethoscopic eavesdropping, typically through vibroacoustic systems;
  • Use of internal ultrasonic systems to prevent audio recording;
  • Application of Faraday cages and acoustic blocking telephone storage units;
  • Active spectrum monitoring (recommended only in high-priority areas as it requires continuous professional supervision).

According to applicability:

  • Minimal disturbance;
  • Minimal impact;
  • Ultrasonic sounds can be mixed with speech or music set to any desired level to enhance effectiveness;
  • Individually adjustable settings, e.g., volume, noise level, etc.;
  • Aesthetic compatibility with the (existing) meeting room;
  • Easy to use.

Each phase of the work requires a professional approach and verification by experienced specialists. The installation and equipment selection practices must be suited to the specific characteristics of the location.

After completing the work, a formal and professional measurement report of the secured meeting room is prepared and handed over to the client.

Revisiting and clarifying the concept of warranty, explaining its genuine professional scope, and the possible future development of the secured meeting room are the concluding steps of the process—from the initial consultation and assessment through the theoretical and practical execution of the implementation up to this phase.

 

Concluding  thoughts

The solutions applied are in line with current technology and techniques. However, future devices may emerge that circumvent existing protections. Therefore, the continuous, symbiotic process of monitoring, testing, and development is indispensable.