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Safety Advisory to State Governments for Procuring CCTVs and IoT Devices
Context:
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) directed all states and government departments to refrain from purchasing CCTVs from suppliers having a track record of security and data breaches.
More on News:
- The threat came through the advisory titled “Threat of Information Leakage through CCTV/ Video Surveillance system (VSS)/ Digital Video Recorders /Network Video Recorders”.
- The advisory stresses a range of benefits and surveillance technologies being valuable tools for monitoring and security, along with certain concerns and risks.
- Earlier, a series of advisory issued by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeITY) regarding the security implications linked with CCTVs and other Internet of Things (loT) devices.
A Video Surveillance System (VSS), also commonly known as Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV), is a system that uses video cameras to monitor and record activity in a specific area for security, safety, or monitoring purposes.
- The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-in) flagged “vulnerabilities” in some foreign firms’ equipment as well.
- These firms are Chinese firms Hikvision, Milesight and Dahua; Germany-headquartered Mobotix, ABUS and Bosch.
Some Notable Initiatives
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Associated Risks:
- Privacy Concerns:
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- Surveillance and Intrusion: It may impinge on individuals’ privacy and freedom due to the sense of constant monitoring it creates.
- Data Misuse: Recorded footage with personal information can be misused for stalking, discrimination, or identity theft.
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- Security Risks:
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- Hacking and Data Breaches: CCTV systems are susceptible to hacking, risking unauthorised access to sensitive footage and compromising security networks.
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- Other Risks:
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- Misuse by Authorities: CCTV data can be misused by authorities for profiling, social control, or suppressing dissent.
- Cost and Maintenance: Installing and maintaining CCTV systems can be expensive, requiring ongoing resources for upkeep and data storage.
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Rogue devices are unauthorised or unapproved devices that are introduced into a network without the knowledge or consent of the IT department to bypass cybersecurity controls such as firewalls and endpoint protection, posing a significant security threat to organisations.