Hikvision cameras are a danger to the country’s security because China could use them to spy on Canada, say the Canadian secret services in a security alert sent to the government of Quebec, a copy of which our Bureau of Investigation obtained.
• Read also: Disturbing Chinese cameras in around fifty Quebec cities, ministries and hospitals
“Chinese company Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co. Ltd poses a threat to Canada’s national security because it and its products could serve as an intelligence collection platform at home and abroad,” the document reads. from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) dated November 2, 2022.
This “security alert”, which details the numerous security flaws of these cameras, was sent last year to several partners of the Canadian secret services, including the Ministry of Digital Cybersecurity of Quebec, to warn them against Chinese company.
We reported Monday that around fifty Quebec public organizations, including the City of Montreal and Hydro-Québec, currently have Hikvision cameras while their use is restricted in the United States and the United Kingdom. Hikvision has also been accused in the past of participating in the repression of the Uighur minority in China.
Courtesy
Courtesy
Under the control of China
In this warning to its partners, CSIS recalls that the United States reported as early as 2020 that Hikvision was under the control of the People’s Liberation Army of the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
“Around the world, ‘smart city’ systems are using Hikvision’s facial recognition technologies, which can create a platform for the PRC to carry out espionage activities abroad. Additionally, Hikvision’s products have security vulnerabilities that make them extremely vulnerable… These security vulnerabilities, combined with gaps in privacy controls, allow the PRC to intercept private data remotely,” we can read in this alert.
The memo also details the links between the Chinese company and the campaign of repression of the Uyghur minority led by China in the Xinjiang region.
“The company’s security equipment has been used to closely monitor public places and concentration camps in the Chinese region as well as provide in-depth analysis (…) More than a passive supplier, Hikvision is responsible for organizing, implementing and directly managing surveillance projects in Xinjiang, at least until 2040,” the report also reads.
No recommendation in Quebec
In Quebec, the Ministry of Digital Cybersecurity (MCN) has not issued any directives or recommendations to ministries regarding the use of Hikvision cameras.
The Quebec Ministry of Transport even purchased 4,000 cameras from the Chinese brand last year for video conferences for its officials.
“The Department takes into account the recommendations of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service in its analyzes of products or assets in order to assess the level of risk. The MCN would also like to point out that it is continuing its monitoring of risks and cybersecurity. Even if to date, no guidelines or recommendations have been formulated for specific products, notably Hikvision, the MCN is continuing its analyses. As part of this work, the diversity of use of these products as well as the existing legislative framework had and must be considered to make the best recommendations, which requires several linkages,” commented the MCN by email.
With the collaboration of Yves Lévesque and Chrystian Viens