China’s spy agency warns of security threats from surveillance camera network flaws

Ministry of State Security advises tightened management of nation’s vast camera network after receiving tip from citizen

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China’s top spy agency has warned that careless installation and lax monitoring of the country’s surveillance camera networks could compromise national security. Photo: AFP

Published: 1:35pm, 19 Nov 2024Updated: 2:32pm, 19 Nov 2024

China’s top spy agency has warned that foreign agents could use flaws in the country’s massive camera surveillance network to steal state secrets.

The warning, posted on the WeChat account of the Ministry of State Security on Sunday, came after a citizen from an unnamed city reported that video surveillance cameras being used to monitor urban drainage and flood prevention could pose a national security risk because the cameras included views of a coastguard pier.

The cameras are intended to provide real-time water-flow monitoring of the city’s older urban areas, according to the report.

A ministry investigation revealed that the cameras showed “multiple key sensitive sites involving classified information”, according to the WeChat post.

China has a vast network of 200 million closed circuit surveillance cameras installed across the country. Photo: Reuters

The investigation also revealed poor management of the surveillance system’s data-monitoring devices and servers, which the ministry said “created a significant risk that, in the event of a cyberattack, could leak classified information”.

The system had since been secured and the cameras readjusted, the ministry said.