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The Australian arm of the Chinese video surveillance company said that end-of-life equipment was responsible for apparent security breaches.
Dahua Technology Australia has responded to claims by Australian cyber security firm CyberCX that its IoT security cameras and doorbell devices, its products are “demonstrably unsafe”.
CyberCX’s chief strategy officer, Alastair MacGibbon, said in a statement on 20 January that following an investigation into the takeover of an IoT doorbell by a hacker, Australia was “effectively sleepwalking into a world where demonstrably unsafe Chinese products are flooding the Australian market”.
MacGibbon said that the risks of unsecured IoT devices were “particularly pronounced for Chinese-made tech, which requires a constant, ongoing connection to Chinese manufacturers to operate, leaving them at the whim of Chinese government security agency direction and surveillance”.
Dahua, for its part, said it has so far not been able to verify CyberCX’s claims as the company has refused to engage on the matter.
“At Dahua Technology Australia, the safety and security of our customers are our highest priorities. We take any claims of product vulnerabilities seriously and are committed to thoroughly investigating and addressing them,” a Dahua spokesperson told Cyber Daily.
“We cannot verify the specific claims outlined without further details, as CyberCX has not provided any information regarding the incident despite our repeated attempts to engage with them.”
According to Dahua, the device in question – which saw a hacker able to completely surveil their victim’s property – was an older device that reached end-of-life in 2019.
“We strongly encourage customers to review their systems, and if outdated, replace them with newer models that have been designed according to today’s advanced cyber security standards that benefit from ongoing updates,” Dahua’s spokesperson said.
“Dahua regularly implements new measures to protect our devices against evolving cyber security threats, including regular firmware updates, compliance with international cyber security standards, and clear guidance for customers on securing their systems.”
Dahua added that it does not store or manage the data generated by its customers. The company said it adheres to “common standards for security practices in the industry and complies with all applicable laws, regulations, and business ethics of each market in which we operate”.
“Cyber security is a global challenge that affects all internet-connected devices, regardless of origin,” the spokesperson said.
“We encourage all users to follow the common cyber security best practices, such as using strong passphrases and ensuring their devices have been installed with the latest firmware updates.”
In 2023, then Defence Minister Richard Marles announced the removal of several brands of security cameras from Australian government buildings. Dahua, alongside Hikvision, was one of the brands in question.
“This is an issue – we’re doing an assessment of all the technology for surveillance within the Defence estate, and where those particular cameras are found, they’re going to be removed,” Minister Marles said at the time.
“I don’t think we should overstate it, but it’s a significant thing that’s been brought to our attention, and we’re going to fix it.”
David Hollingworth has been writing about technology for over 20 years, and has worked for a range of print and online titles in his career. He is enjoying getting to grips with cyber security, especially when it lets him talk about Lego.
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