Chinese smart devices are biggest national security threat Australia has ever faced
Former cyber security chief warns Chinese-made smart home devices have created Australia’s biggest national security threat, turning everyday appliances into potential spy networks.
Interconnected Chinese made devices in our homes including robot vacuums, doorbell cameras and Wi-Fi routers are now the biggest threat to national security Australia has ever faced, the former Special Adviser to the Prime Minister on Cyber Security has warned.
Australia’s first eSafety Commissioner Alastair MacGibbon said the Chinese made devices are updated through connections back to head offices in China which has turned them into a giant spy network in every home.
“We have made tens of millions of quite rational decisions as consumers that in aggregate could become the biggest national security issue that we face as a country,” Mr MacGibbon said.
Mr MacGibbon was the special adviser to then Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull when the Australian Government banned Chinese owned Huawei from the 5G network rollout in 2018. He said the risk had now moved from government to every home.
“People might think it is some kind of science fiction dystopian fantasy but it is true, it is real and it is happening every single day,” he said.
The US government is currently considering banning TP-Link routers because of the risk of cyber attack and has found unexplained communication devices in Chinese made solar panel inverters.
Mr MacGibbon, who now works for cyber security firm CyberCX, said connected devices including baby cams, smart TVs and fridges and Chinese made phones from brands such as Huawei, Oppo, Xiaomi and Nubia are recording Australians’ whereabouts and conversations.
He gave an example of a recent breakfast he had with a state politician in his kitchen when the cabinet minister told the robot vacuum to clean the floor.
“It has a microphone that is permanently listening and cameras and LIDAR that maps the house. What happens if he is discussing sensitive information over a glass of red wine?” he said.
“Chinese cars are essentially mobile surveillance devices but think of the chaos if they were remotely turned off in peak hour.”
UNSW cyber security expert Professor Richard Buckland said connected and smart devices not only pose a threat from foreign governments but also cyber criminals.
“If you see the word smart on a device you should read that as meaning risky or dangerous,” he said. “Cyber security people do not have smart devices in their own homes.”
Prof Buckland said a Chinese device can act as a substation for every device in a home’s network – even if they are not made in China.
“It is essentially having an enemy agent in your home.
“At any moment, if things went bad, these are a vulnerability that is dangerous in the future,” he said. “It is a risk sitting there and we do not know how it will be attacked.”
Shadow cybersecurity spokeswoman Claire Chandler said the government needed to spell out the risks to the Australian public.
“The proliferation of Chinese-made devices in households across the country is something all Australians should be concerned about.
“Australians deserve confidence that their homes and data aren’t exposed to foreign interference. Right now, I worry that Australians are making choices about which devices to buy without fully knowing the risk involved, particularly in relation to connected devices.
“The Albanese Government needs to be clear-eyed about the risk that devices from China pose to Australians, and ensure Australians know what steps they should be taking to protect themselves,” Ms Chandler said.
A spokesman for the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), which is responsible for national cybersecurity, said consumers needed to carefully review the privacy and data collection policies of the device manufacturer and the data laws in the country of manufacture.
“Many internet of Things (IoT) devices commonly used by Australian households and businesses have not been designed with security in mind, and are therefore potentially vulnerable to compromise,” he said.
ASD director general Abigail Bradshaw said at a recent conference that the Directorate had been “explicit about the risk” of foreign manufactured internet connected devices.
She said consumers need to understand “where that data, or anything connected to it, might be communicating with. And that includes if that device is accessible from outside of the country, in regimes in which there is a National Security Law which requires the compliance of any private entity.”
For mum‑of‑two Caitlin Wyborn, 23, who’s raising Harlow, 5, and Koah, 3, when buying household devices convenience often wins, but after learning the hidden vulnerabilities in ordinary household tech she’s “really concerned.”
“When I’m juggling kids and budgets, national security isn’t the first thing I think about at the checkout — but I guess now it probably should be.”
“I’m careful about baby cams and don’t hook them up to Wi‑Fi, but hearing that even the vacuum or the router could be risky is scary.”
“Our homes are supposed to be the safest place for our kids, so it’s unsettling to think the risk might be hiding in the bits we’re used to just plugging in and forgetting.”
Simon Malik, 29, says he is not concerned about the security risks.
“All my smart device purchases are made after extensive research so I understand how all my devices operate and their respective capabilities.
“Security is one of the primary factors I consider before any purchase.”
Originally published as Chinese smart devices are biggest national security threat Australia has ever faced
