Beling CEO warns of blind spot in physical security at Rome congress

By AI, Created 8:20 AM UTC, May 25, 2026, /AGP/ – Beling Ltd. CEO Damir First told security professionals in Rome that global spending on cybersecurity far exceeds counter-surveillance, leaving physical security underfunded despite documented threats. He pointed to four real-world incidents and said the tools to prevent them already exist, but awareness has not kept pace.

Why it matters: - First argued that the gap between cybersecurity and counter-surveillance spending leaves a major corporate blind spot in physical security. - He said the imbalance matters because many sensitive losses happen through spoken conversations, covert devices, and weak site sweeps, not just digital systems. - The message was aimed at security professionals across Europe and North America who influence how organizations protect people, spaces, and decisions.

What happened: - Damir First, CEO of Beling Ltd., spoke at the 2nd MEFF International Congress in Rome. - First used the forum to challenge the industry to make a broader case for counter-surveillance beyond government circles. - He said global cybersecurity spend is about €229 billion, while global TSCM spend is around €1 billion. - He described that spending gap as roughly 230-to-1. - First said that ratio does not match the threat environment and reflects limited awareness outside government.

The details: - First said the incidents he cited are real and documented. - In 2020, a listening device hidden inside a standard plug adapter was placed at The Ritz Hotel in London and recorded private negotiations tied to a deal where competing offers exceeded £1 billion. - First said a routine pre-meeting sweep would have found the device. - In Denmark, TDC’s billion-euro 5G vendor selection was reportedly conducted under active counter-surveillance precautions after executives believed discussions were being monitored. - TDC ultimately awarded the contract to Ericsson. - First said the room had to be verified clean before anyone could speak freely because the decision involved critical national infrastructure. - In Ukraine, weeks before First spoke in Rome, a covert device attributed to Russian intelligence was found in a drone manufacturer’s chief engineer’s office. - First said the intelligence came entirely from spoken conversation. - At Expedia’s Seattle headquarters in 2025, a contracted security guard installed covert cameras throughout the building. - First said the first sweep missed the cameras, but a second, more thorough sweep found them. - First said the equipment to prevent each incident already exists. - Beling Ltd., also known as SpyShopEurope, said the company has built a reputation over more than three decades as a trusted counter-surveillance provider for governments, security agencies, and corporations. - SpyShopEurope carries the MEFF Productions professional range, including the M1-PRO field detector for sweep operations, the M2-PRO spectrum analyzer covering 100 Hz to 24 GHz, and the M3-PRO mobile spyware scanner for Android and iOS devices. - More information is available on Beling’s LinkedIn page.

Between the lines: - First’s pitch reframes counter-surveillance as a business and governance issue, not a niche technical service. - The examples span hotels, telecom, defense-related industry, and corporate headquarters, showing how eavesdropping risks cut across sectors. - The argument also suggests that stronger awareness, not new hardware, is the main barrier to wider adoption.

What’s next: - Beling Ltd. is likely to keep pressing the case for more routine counter-surveillance planning in corporate and public-sector environments. - The company is also positioning its product line as the practical response to the awareness gap First described.

The bottom line: - First’s core message was simple: the tools to stop covert surveillance exist, but most organizations still do not treat them as essential security infrastructure.