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SCP-4080 Safe ~ medium confidence
SCP-4080
Expected annual
$872K
One-time setup
$2.3M
Annual recurring
$838K
Personnel
6
Initial one-time setup is moderate-to-large (~$2.25M) driven by contingency reserves and potential escalation buys; annual recurring costs are ~ $838k/yr driven mainly by staff wages (reviewers, forensics, field operatives), legal/PR retainers, and field operations.
🏗️ One-Time Capital Costs Total: $2.3M
Containment Escalation $1.0M
[#16] High-end one-time contingency for covert removal/neutralization operations (planning/execution/cover-up/legal fallout).
Contingency Investigative Ops $500K
[#15] One-time reserve for covert entry, purchase of property/studio, asset acquisition if tracebacks require acquisition.
Equipment $232K
[#1, #2, #6, #8, #9] Regional broadcast-monitoring hardware, central ingest/playback system, RF/field kit, covert fixed cameras install, unmarked vehicle purchases.
Legal Contingency $150K
[#10] One-time budget reserve for larger per-incident legal actions / negotiated settlements.
Broadcaster Payments $150K
[#11] One-time reserve for payments/incentives or buyouts for local broadcasters/stations.
Network Integration $50K
[#12] One-time integration/technical work to implement regional filtering/blacklists with MSOs/ISPs.
Pr Contingency $50K
[#14] One-time contingency reserve for emergency takedowns, paid placements, or rapid PR responses.
Initial Research And Lab Setup $45K
[#4, #5] Secure archival storage setup and media-forensics equipment/software initial purchase.
Personnel Vetting $45K
[#17] Initial personnel security clearances and background checks for project team (~10 people).
It Security $25K
[#18] Initial IT/network security & secure comms setup (VPNs, encrypted radios, satellite comms hardware/service setup).
Facilities $5K
[#13] Safe-house / local operations base one-time setup and modest SCIF upgrades.
🔄 Annual Recurring Costs Total: $838K/yr
Staff Wages $470K/yr
[#3, #5, #7] Daily review personnel (2 FTE = $140k/yr), media-forensics specialists (2 FTE = $180k/yr), field operatives (2 FTE ~ $150k/yr) salaries, benefits and shift coverage.
Administrative Overhead $140K/yr
[#20] Administrative overhead (~20% of operational recurring budget) for procurement, HR, accounting, and facility overhead.
Cover Story And Legal $100K/yr
[#10, #14] Local legal retainers and ongoing PR/disinformation reserve (retainer + emergency fund combined).
Logistics And Transport $40K/yr
[#7, #9] Field surveillance travel/OT/operational expenses and unmarked vehicle running costs.
Facilities Maintenance $27K/yr
[#13] Safe-house / local operations base rent and utilities (median of $1.5k–$3k/mo range).
Network Monitoring $20K/yr
[#12] Ongoing monitoring/support for ISP/cable coordination and filtering infrastructure.
Supplies And Consumables $12K/yr
[#8, #19] Camera/sensor maintenance and routine consumables (batteries, drives, SD cards, replacement cameras).
Personnel Vetting Reinvestigation $10K/yr
[#17] Recurring reinvestigations and vetting renewals for contractors and staff.
It Security $10K/yr
[#18] Service/licenses for secure comms, encrypted transfer services and VPNs.
Research And Monitoring $5K/yr
[#4] Ongoing archival backups/maintenance, tape rotation and media migration costs.
Rf Maintenance $5K/yr
[#6] RF/spectrum mapping kit maintenance, calibration, and drone support upkeep.
⚡ Cost Scenarios
📊 Baseline (baseline) $838K/yr
87.5% probability / year
Normal year with routine monitoring, analysis, and modest ops; no major public leaks or escalations.
no_major_leak routine_monitoring covert_surveillance
🚨 Minor Incident $938K/yr
10.0% probability / year +$100K vs baseline
Small public leak or unauthorized clip requiring rapid takedown, legal action, and targeted PR response.
small_public_leak viral_clip failed_initial_takedown
🚨 Major Breach $1.7M/yr
2.0% probability / year +$900K vs baseline
Significant exposure requiring broadcaster buyouts, extended legal defense, and major PR and payments to partners.
wide_public_exposure station_noncooperation major_takedown_and_settlement
🚨 Containment Escalation $2.1M/yr
0.5% probability / year +$1.2M vs baseline
Full neutralization/containment operation (covert removal or other aggressive options) with major one-time operational and legal costs.
source_identified necessity_for_removal court_or_criminal_complication
👥 Personnel 6 total
Role Count Notes
Media Analyst / Content Reviewer 2 [#3] Daily review personnel (2 FTE) to intercept, screen and sign off on each episode.
Forensic Analyst / Media Forensics Specialist 2 [#5] Specialists to analyze frames/audio, geolocation and editing patterns.
Security Officer / Field Operative 2 [#7] Covert field surveillance operatives for periodic stakeouts, tails and mobile observation.
📋 Confidence Notes
Analyst notes provide detailed line-item ranges for most categories, allowing reasonable estimates; uncertainty remains around how many broadcasters carry the program, the frequency/severity of leaks, and whether contingency one-offs will be required, so confidence is medium.
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