Victoria prepares for potential purge of Chinese-made CCTV cameras

The Andrews government is conducting an audit of all security cameras at government-owned sites in Victoria to determine if any have links to Chinese state-owned companies and need to be replaced.

Analysis of data from tracking website Shodan.io shows there are more than 9000 internet-enabled Hikvision cameras in metropolitan Melbourne, far more than the 133 located in Geelong and 117 in Ballarat.

Hikvision security cameras are used in Bejing, and also in Melbourne.Credit: AP

The data does not reveal where those cameras are located or who they are owned by, but the state review will also take in precincts around government buildings.

It comes a week after Defence Minister Richard Marles revealed the federal government is taking steps to remove hundreds of Chinese-made closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras from federal departments – and from sites such as the Australian War Memorial – due to fears about possible espionage.

CCTV cameras made by companies such as Hikvision and Dahua are of particular concern to Australian authorities because of China’s 2017 National Intelligence Law. That law compels Chinese businesses to hand over data to local intelligence services.

There are about 100 Hikvision cameras connected to the internet in Bendigo, 56 in Mildura and 42 in Shepparton. These figures include cameras used by private companies.

Dr Malcolm Davis, from the independent think tank the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said any private company involved in sensitive work – such as national security or defence – shouldn’t be using Chinese-made CCTV.

“Financial companies should also be very wary,” he said. “They can’t afford to be blasé about this.”

Davis also said such devices have been linked to mass surveillance programs and China’s efforts to ramp up facial recognition technology.

“If you have large numbers of these cameras scattered around Australian cities, the Chinese intelligence communities can watch what we are doing during the day. Individuals, and not just communities. These cameras pose a huge intelligence-gathering risk to Australia.”

A spokesman for the Victorian government said: “The Department of Government Services is conducting an audit of security cameras in government buildings and precincts.”

The department is also seeking additional advice from the Commonwealth.

The City of Greater Geelong’s director of city planning, Gareth Smith, said a number of Hikvision and other Chinese-made CCTV cameras are used by the council but have been scheduled for replacement.

“The Geelong safe city network has Hikvision CCTV cameras at two sites, which will remain online for the time being as they monitor high-priority areas,” he said.

“Footage is stored securely and all systems are up-to-date with firmware.”

The City of Ballarat’s director of corporate services, John Hausler, said his regional council did have Hikvision cameras installed throughout local government premises. However, he stressed those cameras are not connected to any external network and all data is recorded on a local hard drive.

“There is no data that is exposed externally,” he said. “As a result, there are no current plans to replace the cameras, although safety and risk assessments are continually undertaken.”

The City of Greater Bendigo’s acting director of corporate performance, Jessica Clarke-Hong, said her council operates about 120 cameras. Of those, around 65 per cent are Hikvision cameras that run on isolated systems not connected to the internet.

“City staff will consider any risks associated with this camera brand and what steps, if any, need to be taken to change the cameras, subject to available budget,” she said.

A spokesman for the City of Melbourne said no Hikvision cameras are in use across its corporate or street safety networks.

Victorian Liberal senator James Paterson, who has been pursuing this issue through Senate estimates, welcomed the state government’s audit. However, he also called on the Andrews government to take further steps.

“If it is not safe to have these devices in any federal government site, they shouldn’t be in any state government site, either,” he said. “As they are found they should be removed.”

Last week, the federal defence minister told ABC radio that “there is an issue here and we’re going to deal with it”.

China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Mao Ning, has since accused the Australian government of discriminating against Chinese products.

“We oppose erroneous practices of over-stretching the concept of national security and abusing state power to discriminate against and suppress Chinese companies,” she said.

The comments come despite Beijing previously taking steps to purge foreign-made CCTV devices.

Both America and the United Kingdom have banned Hikvision and Dahua devices from all government buildings.

The Australian Cyber Security Centre states that owners of Hikvision cameras should, if possible, prevent such devices from being accessed anywhere on the internet.

Despite the growing calls in Australia and elsewhere, some governments – such as the New Zealand Labour government – have not yet taken any action.

A spokeswoman for Hikvision said it was categorically false to represent the company as a threat to national security.

“Hikvision is an equipment manufacturer that has no visibility into end users’ video data,” she said.

“Our products are compliant with all applicable Australian laws and regulations and are subject to strict security requirements.”

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