Granite Island Group

Background and Qualifications
James M. Atkinson

James M. Atkinson is the President and Senior Engineer of Granite Island Group - a prestigious veteran-owned company started in 1987 that specializes in the electronics-engineering field. Assuring the protection of classified, confidential, privileged, or private information against technical attack, eavesdropping, or exploitation. Mr. Atkinson has earned the respect of the of the most public and private global client base in the industry. Prior to 1987, Mr. Atkinson served in the military, and had a nationally recognized background as a computer hardware and software developer.

He is a counter-surveillance expert, communications engineer, security consultant, and instructor with a reputation for designing and installing some of the most powerful secure communications systems used by both government agencies and major corporations. He has designed over 145 electronic and tactical products such as GPS devices, test instruments, radio equipment, audio products, modified bouchons, HRT devices, cryptographic equipment, surveillance detection devices, SIGINT/COMINT products, and various other devices and systems. He is described by others in the TSCM and TEMPEST field as the "Leonardo da Vinci of Bug Sweeps", having made numerous unique technical contributions and developments over the years to the craft of hunting spies, bugs, and wiretaps

Prolific Computer Programming

A prolific computer programmer he has authored over 150 software titles ranging from accounting packages and databases to sophisticated engineering software for TSCM, cryptographic, signals intelligence, RADAR, and electronic warfare. Several of his software and hardware suites allow for the detection of virtually "undetectable bugs", and the detection of extremely low RADAR cross section targets. He maintains the world's largest private reference library regarding technical surveillance devices, and TSCM protocols used internationally. Included in this library is a computerized database of over a quarter million eavesdropping devices. This computerized database includes complex mathematic models which permit the quantitative modeling, evaluation, and analysis of eavesdropping devices, which in turn allows Granite Island Group to detect eavesdropping devices and surveillance threats that other firms and many government agencies are incapable of finding. His preferred language is C, C++, and raw machine language but, he is also proficient in, FORTRAN, COBOL, ADA, PASCAL, Visual Basic, and several variations thereof (including multiple scripting languages). He is also skilled with the development of applications requiring high performance digital signal processing, and with the merging of high performance hardware and software into a single solution.

Considerable Espionage Training

Mr. Atkinson has been trained by the U.S. Government in Intelligence, Covert Operations, Technical Surveillance, and Cryptanalysis, and is a graduate of multiple government schools. He is one of a very small number of professionals who have been formally certified and trained by the NSA as a TEMPEST Engineer, and Cryptographic Technician. His extensive experience with the design and development of SIGINT systems to exploit and/or control compromising emanations, has provided him with an intimate understanding of how our foreign adversaries eavesdrop upon the United States and its allies - and the tools to stop it. Additionally, he has many years of experience working deep inside highly classified and highly sensitive cryptographic, communications, switching, and computer systems.

TSCM Inspections, TEMPEST, EMI, EMC Evaluations

The visual and instrumented TSCM (Technical Surveillance Counter Measure) surveys that he performs include: analysis of all signals present on the airways, evaluation of all telephone lines and computer networks, detection of computer viruses and Trojan horses, security of voice and data switching systems. Additionally, he will discover any mechanism by which a spy could commit technical eavesdropping or surveillance against, or exploitation of, a target through technical means. Also included in an engagement are the studies of electromagnetic interference (EMI), and the study of electromagnetic compliance (EMC), including the performance of visual and instrumented TEMPEST inspections, and measures to mitigate other technical weaknesses in communications and computer systems.

Early Experience

Mr. Atkinson has an excellent academic background, has earned multiple academic degrees, and actually started attending college courses while still in his early teens. Prior to beginning his military service he was employed as a professional computer programmer and hardware developer (while still in his mid-teens, under a work-study program), and enlisted in the military as soon as he reached legal age. Before he was old enough to drive he had developed several dozen commercial computer programs including a sophisticated BASIC and FORTRAN compiler, and had become quite proficient not only in raw assembler language, and machine language programming, but also in reverse engineering of both hardware and software.

Military Service

He is a Cold War military veteran (USAF),and while in the military he became trained, qualified, and certified as a computer and switching systems technician and worked on some of the most highly classified, dangerous, and sophisticated computer equipment used by the United States government. He also successfully cross-trained into cryptographic systems, satellite communications and specialized in signals intelligence and related disciplines. He has also studied the sophisticated methods which countries use to spy on each other, and has helped developed standards, protocols, and procedures that are vital to not only our own national defense, but the defense of our allies as well.

Certified for Top Secret Systems and Access

Mr. Atkinson is one of a small number of people who have actually been certified by the government to work on the highly classified computer and communications systems including those used by Strategic Air Command, Tactical Air Command, Air Force Communications Command, NORAD, WHCA, and other related agencies. More specifically he spent years directly working on (and trained others to work on) the systems used to control and command nuclear missiles, bombers, including the classified equipment used in command posts, classified bunkers, missile silos, plus hardened facilities and systems designed to operate in a post-atomic holocaust.

Extensive Training - Expert Knowledge
Performed Thousands of Bug Sweeps

He has attended extensive private and government sponsored TSCM, TEMPEST, ECM, ECCM, EMI, EMC, SIGINT, cryptographic, technical intelligence, electronics, and security training both in the United States and abroad. He has been involved in thousands of TSCM, TEMPEST, and related inspections, over the past 30+ years of government and private sector assignments.

Tactical, Instructor, and Armorer Skills

Mr. Atkinson is a graduate of multiple executive protection, tactical driving, police vehicle operations, SWAT/SRT, and special operations and counter-terrorism programs. He is also a factory trained and certified armorer on multiple military and police weapons systems, and holds an expert marksmans rating with many of those systems.

Media Interviews, Quotes, and Mentions

On a related note: James M. Atkinson has also been heavily interviewed and quoted in the media by such prestigious national and international publications as the Wall Street Journal, Forbes Magazine, Investor Business Daily, The Boston Globe, Washington Post, Philadelphia Inquirer, Wired Magazine, Playboy, Mother Jones, London Times, and hundreds of other national and international newspapers, magazines, related publications, radio interviews, and related media. He has also contributed heavily to numerous books dealing with "bug sweep" subject matters, and in several cases has written entire textbooks or chapters of textbooks on the subject.

Does Not Talk Over the Clients Head

He is one of the few people in the county who can take highly complex technical issues (such as TEMPEST, TSCM, and technical surveillance), and explain to a layman, or non-technical person, and is a trusted advisor to many clients. His clients include major corporations, heads-of-state, diplomats, government agencies, defense contractors, hospitals, courthouses, police stations, banks, universities, publicly traded companies, private companies, stockbrokers, ranchers, farmers, fisherman, accountants, law firms, restaurants, hotels, oil companies, political leaders, ministers, small businesses, and private individuals.

Extensively Published

James M. Atkinson has been extensively published on these subject matters, has authored materials that have affected national policy, has testified before Congress several times, has been consulted by the Executive Branch, and foreign governments as THE internationally recognized expert in TSCM, TEMPEST, and technical counter-intelligence matters. He has personally authored thousands of pages in the form of technical books and manuals in regards to these subject matters, and in addition published the first, the largest, and the most comprehensive website on Earth on the subject matter. Mr. Atkinson is also the author who others copy, and from whom many others plagiarize (both a flattering, but yet annoying fact).

Extensive Hand On with Telecommunications and Data Networks

Also unique within the TSCM business he has personally installed millions of feet of telecommunications wiring, installed thousands of telephones and computers. He has designed and installed large corporate, government, academic, and private networks from the ground up, not only with an eye to high performance and rock solid reliability, but also with providing a high level of security, and resistance to eavesdropping. In turn when these communication systems are subjected to future TSCM inspections even the slightest manipulation or eavesdropping activities is quickly detected.

Medical Skills

Mr. Atkinson is also a bit of a renaissance man who excels in a wide variety of subjects or fields that are outside of his primary occupation. While he does maintain a very strong technical background, he also has notable medical and fine arts training, and credentials. He has training in Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Pediatric Emergencies, Pediatric Advanced Life Support, Neo-Natal emergencies, Trauma Life Support, Combat Trauma Life Saving, and has attended medical training at Harvard Medical School, Yale Medical School, Dartmouth Medical School, various government schools including the Defense Medical Readiness Training Institute (DMRTI) located at Ft Sam Houston, TX, and other schools. He is also a volunteer EMT in his community, and a volunteer Red Cross CPR and first aid Instructor at the lay responder, healthcare, and also professional rescuer levels. This ability and willingness to help his fellow man, and to do it as a volunteer, speaks well of his humanity, kindness, benevolence, compassion, and love towards his fellow man.

Medical Developments

Additionally, during the Fall of 2009, he filed patents for three biotechnology developments, for medications that could save thousands of peoples life per year, and which could revolutionize battle field medicine. The development is in the form of "smart" organelles that reverse the build up of lactic acid in trauma victims (instead of using bicarb), and which is given as a prophylaxis to soldiers before entering into a dangerous area or surgical patients about to undergo a procedure. He has also pioneered, designed, and developed a non-contact ECG which presents a multi-million lead diagnostic instrument capable of electronically detecting ischemic tissues, and tissues that are injured or inflamed but not quite yet ischemic, and detecting complex and minute dysrhythmias that would have previously gone unnoticed. The new cardiac monitor also shows promise as a non-invasive cardiac pacing device that can be used to either restore the beat of an otherwise "dead" heart, or to correct a cardiac arrhythmia in an emergency situation.

Perpetual Student

He is also a perpetual student, who will often take on full-time academic loads, while also working full time in his profession. His primary focus is on technical matters, but he also engages in medical courses, humanities, and the fine arts courses (he is a quite good fine arts photographer, plays multiple musical instruments, and is learning to draw). He also has a significant amount of training from FEMA and the Emergency Management Institute, and knows how to think on his feet both inside and outside the box in emergency situations in order to contain an emerging or developing problem.

Subject Matter Expert, Teacher, Speaker, and Lecturer

Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, NorthEastern University, Boston University, Boston College, and other New England Colleges and Universities have had Mr. Atkinson teach, speak or lecture to students as a recognized subject matter expert. Also, he has lectured at Princeton University, Cornell University, George Washington University, University of Pennsylvania, Brown University, United States Military Academy at West Point, United States Naval Academy, Air Force Academy, and others. He is also very sought after as a trade show and conference speaker and regards to TSCM and related matters.

"James M. Atkinson has completed more Formal Technical
Training (from Apple) than anyone else we have on record."
- Apple Computer Training Department, Austin TX, Fall 1995

In order to remain highly proficient, Mr. Atkinson attends hundreds of hours of formal security and technical training each year. He has completed well over ten thousand hours of advanced security and technical training with industry leaders such as: Microsoft, Apple, AT&T, Bell Labs, Lucent, Sun, Silicon Graphics, Motorola, Analog Devices, Digital Equipment Corporation, Apollo, Watkins Johnson, Hewlett Packard, Agilent, Northern Telecom, Rolm, Cisco, IBM, Motorola, Toshiba, and dozens of others (including various government schools). He has a particular fondness for Apple Macintosh computers with considerable credentials from Apple, but also has significant proficiency with Windows, and Unix.

More in depth details of his considerable, diverse background and credentials may also be found on his LinkedIn Profile {click here}.

If you want a top-notch TSCM expert, then James M. Atkinson and his company is the best person to help you.

In vacant corners of our land,
off rutted gravel trails,
There is a watchful breed of men,
who see that peace prevails.
For them there are no waving flags,
no blare of martial tune,
There is no romance in their job,
no glory at high noon.

In an oft’ repeated ritual,
they casually hang their locks,
Where the wages of man’s love and hate,
are restrained in a small red box.
In a world of flick’ring colored lights,
and endless robot din,
The missile crews will talk awhile,
but soon will turn within.

To a flash of light or other worldly tone,
conditioned acts respond.
Behind each move, unspoken thoughts,
of the bombs that lie beyond.
They live with patient waiting,
with tactics, minds infused,
And the quiet murmur of the heart,
that hopes it’s never used.

They feel the loving throb,
of the mindless tool they run,
They hear the constant whir,
of a world that knows no sun.
Here light is ever present,
no moon’s nocturnal sway.
The clock’s unnatural beat,
belies not night or day.

Behind a concrete door slammed shut,
no starlit skies of night,
No sun-bleached clouds in azure sky,
in which to dance in flight.
But certain as the rising sun,
these tactic warriors seldom see,
They’re ever grimly ready,
for someone has to be.

Beneath it all they’re common men,
who eat and sleep and dream,
But between them is a common bond,
of knowledge they’re a team.
A group of men who love their land,
who serve it long and well,
Who stand their thankless vigil,
on the brink of man-made hell.

In boredom fluxed with stress,
encapsuled they reside,
They do their job without complaint,
of pleasures oft’ denied.
For duty, honor, country,
and a matter of self-pride.
The Missileer
- Robert A. Wyckoff, Captain USAF

For a confidential consultation please E-mail: jmatk@tscm.com

Telephone: (978) 381-9111
International Callers: 001-978-381-9111