How a camera can be hacked in 11 seconds. Source: BBC.
Most people install security cameras to feel safer. But what if those same cameras quietly opened a digital window into your property not for you, but for someone thousands of kilometres away?
Popular brands such as Hikvision and Dahua, installed in offices, warehouses, schools, and even government facilities, have been found to contain serious vulnerabilities. What was meant to protect assets and people can, if unsecured, become a gateway for hackers, data theft, or even foreign surveillance.
In this article, let's discover what’s really happening behind the lens, and how you can secure your system before it becomes part of the problem.
Across the world, thousands of cameras from major brands like Hikvision and Dahua remain online with outdated firmware, weak passwords, or default factory settings — creating easy entry points for attackers.
Curious about this in action? Watch Hackaday’s recent demo“Hacking a banned Chinese security camera” showing how a banned Chinese-made camera could be hacked and reprogrammed within minutes, thus exposing how easily compromised devices can be when left unpatched or internet-exposed. Similarly, China Observers (2024) reported that Chinese surveillance cameras account for only around 5% of IoT devices but nearly one-third of IoT-related security incidents — a staggering imbalance that highlights the scope of the risk.
These aren’t isolated cases. ABC News (2024) and other security researchers have confirmed government warnings about insecure devices installed across critical infrastructure, reinforcing the urgent need for better protection and proactive monitoring.
At Sensatek, we believe your cameras should protect you — not expose you. That’s why we partner with VIVOTEK and Trend Micro, leaders in intelligent surveillance and cybersecurity, to deliver camera systems built with protection at their core.
VIVOTEK’s latest network cameras come equipped with Trend Micro IoT Security, an embedded defence system that actively detects and blocks brute-force logins, malware, and suspicious network activity in real time.
We bring three things together: secure hardware, embedded IoT security, and professional network design.
Secure device foundation (VIVOTEK hardware). Modern VIVOTEK cameras are engineered to meet stricter security controls (secure boot, signed firmware and compliance features) so the device itself is less likely to be the weak link.
Embedded IoT protection (Trend Micro). Trend Micro’s IoT security runs on the device to detect brute-force logins, block malicious outbound connections, and stop known malware patterns — much like antivirus for cameras. This gives an active layer of defence while vendors prepare or issue firmware fixes.
Professional installation & network hardening (Sensatek). We isolate cameras on dedicated VLANs, lock down ports and services, enforce strong credentials and manage firmware updates and Trend Micro signatures centrally — so a compromised device cannot be used to pivot into your core systems. (We also monitor outgoing traffic and raise alerts for unusual behaviour.)
For camera owners, the message is clear: security doesn’t end at the lens. Whether you manage a small business or a large facility, taking camera cybersecurity seriously means safeguarding your privacy, your data, and your reputation. Sensatek can help you start today — with a full system audit, secure upgrades, and peace of mind that your cameras are truly watching for you, not against you.