Chinese state-owned Hikvision security cameras operating in SA, some as a rebadged brand
Chinese security cameras are being “rebadged” and used in places including the Royal Adelaide Hospital, sparking warnings of surveillance and blackmail.
SA News
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More than 1000 Chinese-made Hikvision security cameras are in use by SA Health, and there are more that pose potential risk of spying by Beijing in use under a different name.
Hikvision, which is partly owned by the Chinese Government, has been banned in the United States over security concerns.
Last year the SA Government rejected a bid from Hikvision to put cameras in aged care homes.
In 2018 Hikvision cameras were removed from the Edinburgh RAAF base, and they are in the process of being removed from SA Health buildings.
But Hikvision has started buying “cleanskin” cameras and rebadging them under other names such as Honeywell.
Honeywell cameras are set up at one of the main entrances to the Royal Adelaide Hospital. Australian Strategic Policy Institute cyber expert Fergus Hanson said people were right to be wary about any technology from a state-controlled company, but they should also be aware that other companies can be forced to spy on people on behalf of the Chinese state.
The cameras might be hackable or have “deliberate back doors” to let the Chinese state collect information.
“There is a lot of rebadging with Chinese technology,” Mr Hanson said.
“They buy cleanskins and repurpose them.”
He said in most cases nothing sinister would be going on.
But the Chinese state could potentially track someone going to the RAH and separately hack their medical file to find out about an embarrassing illness, then blackmail them.
SA Health said the exact number of Hikvision cameras in use was “still being worked through”.
