- The U.S. Army made the move after concerns were raised that the cameras were made by a company partly owned by Chinese government
- Beijing owns owns 42 per cent of Hikvision, who provided the security gear at Fort Leonard Wood
- The military does not believe the cameras posed a security risk, but nevertheless made the decision to avoid ‘negative perception’
- But cybersecurity experts aren’t so sure, citing concerns about China’s sophisticated spying capabilities
Chinese-made cameras installed at a US Army base in Missouri have been removed because of potential ‘negative perception’ surrounding the equipment.
The U.S. Army made the move following a report in The Wall Street Journal that noted most of the surveillance devices were made by a company partly owned by the Chinese government.
Beijing, the publication reported, owns 42 per cent of Hikvision, which provided the security gear at Fort Leonard Wood, located roughly 138 miles west of St. Louis.
Beijing, the publication reported, owns 42 per cent of Hikvision, who provided the security gear at Fort Leonard Wood, located roughly 138 miles west of St. Louis.
Hikvision is the world’s largest manufacturer of security cameras, according to The Journal.
Col. Christopher Beck (pictured) said that the military does not believe the cameras posed a security risk
Col. Christopher Beck said that the military does not believe the cameras posed a security risk, but nevertheless made the decision to avoid ‘any negative perceptions’ surrounding the products.
Beck said the Hikvision cameras were not placed near security sensitive areas of Fort Leonard Wood, but instead used to surveil roads leading up to the base.
A spokeswoman for Hikvision said the corporation ‘believes the products it builds and distributes around the world must meet the highest standards of not only quality but also security. We stand by our products and processes.’
The Hangzhou based company insisted that its equipment is not used to spy on behalf the Chinese government.
Hikvision added that it doesn’t have access to cameras that have been purchased by customers and that the government has no influence in its day-to-day operations.
The Hangzhou based company insisted that its equipment is not used to spy on behalf the Chinese government.
Hikvision added that it doesn’t have access to cameras that have been purchased by customers and that the government has no influence in its day-to-day operations
But cybersecurity experts aren’t so sure, citing concerns about China’s sophisticated spying capabilities.
They point out that the Chinese government is able to exert significant pressure and control the country’s private enterprises in order to manipulate their utility.
China has been known to aggressively target personal data of foreign civilians, when units of the People’s Liberation Army believed to be dedicated to hacking.
In 2015, Chinese hackers reportedly cracked the US Office of Personnel Management and made off with the personal records of some 21.5million Americans.
China’s spymasters are believed to be building massive databases of personal, financial and health information on Americans, to have handy in the event of future contact and potentially as leverage in blackmail scenarios.
But cybersecurity experts aren’t so sure, citing concerns about China’s sophisticated spying capabilities (Pictured: China’s President Xi Jinping December 5, 2017)