Two giant video surveillance companies have responded to a United States government ban on use of their products included in the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Both Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Company and Dahua Technology Company are mentioned by name in a section buried in the giant military reauthorisation bill. A ban on use of their products will take effect “not later than one year after” the law is enacted.
Response from the manufacturers
Hikvision’s statement expresses disappointment with the version of the 2019 NDAA passed by both chambers of the U.S. Congress Hikvision’s statement expresses disappointment with the version of the 2019 NDAA passed by both chambers of the U.S. Congress. “This legislation was quickly drafted without sufficient evidence, review, or investigation to warrant the video surveillance technology restrictions outlined in section 889,” says Hikvision.
“The process resulted in an ambiguous provision with potentially far-reaching implications for American business and represents a rejection of the U.S. government’s commitment to use a standards-based approach when evaluating security risks in federal procurement.”
Dahua was less direct and did not specifically mention the ban in its statement. “Although local laws and regulations may present challenges, we never lose sight of our goals — to provide top-tier products and services for the North American market,” says the statement from Zhejiang Dahua Technology Ltd. The rest of the statement centres on Dahua’s ongoing commitment to the video surveillance market and addresses possible motivations for the ban (see below).
Impact on contractor business
Dahua’s statement expressed its ongoing commitment to the video surveillance market Hikvision also cited a recent article published in The Hill that quoted Chris Nickelson, a Missouri-based contractor, who argued that a ban on Hikvision products would actually harm small American businesses like his. According to the article, Nickelson said allegations against Hikvision have hurt his business, and he decried a lack of evidence supporting the allegations.
“Somebody still needs to show me that there’s any real meat and potatoes behind any accusations that have been made towards Hikvision,” Nickelson is quoted in The Hill.
The rest of Hikvision’s statement: “Hikvision is committed to complying with all applicable laws and regulations and has made efforts to ensure the security of its products go beyond what is mandated by the U.S. government, including certification under the Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2 and opening our Source Code Transparency Center (SCTC), which makes the company’s source code available for review by law enforcement authorities and government agencies in the U.S. and Canada.”We understand that in today’s security industry, cybersecurity is the biggest challenge"
Company statement on the NDAA
Here is more of Dahua’s statement on the National Defense Authorization Act: “Dahua Technology is a global leading IoT video surveillance solution provider operating in 37 countries and dedicated to bringing our customers innovative solutions. Dahua Technology has been publicly traded on Shenzhen stock exchange market since 2008 and is not a government-owned entity.
We understand that in today’s security industry, cybersecurity is the biggest challenge. We have provided remedies to correct those issues with our customers. We take cybersecurity very seriously by implementing a seven-module cybersecurity baseline into our product design. Meanwhile, we continue to work with 3rd party partners like DBAPP Security and Synopsys Technology, to rigorously test our products to combat against current cybersecurity vulnerabilities."To personalise our interaction with customers at this event, Hikvision will not have a booth on the GSX show floor"
Dahua’s statement continues: “With over 6,000 R&D Dahua professionals, we strive to provide secure products and solutions to our valued customers to secure what they care about. Although local laws and regulations may present challenges, we never lose sight of our goals — to provide top-tier products and services for the North American market. We will continue to invest in resources and employees to ensure our customers and partners retain the highest quality of services to support future growth in this market.
"We will continue to invest in resources and employees to ensure our customers and partners retain the highest quality of services to support future growth in this market.”
Hikvision comments on GSX presence
Hikvision has also issued a statement about its downsized presence at the upcoming GSX trade show (formerly ASIS) in Las Vegas. A Hikvision spokesperson confirmed that the decision to abandon Hikvision’s large booth presence was made earlier this summer and was not a result of the ban.
Here is Hikvision’s statement about GSX: “As in previous years, Hikvision will be well represented at the GSX show in September in Las Vegas. To personalise our interaction with customers at this event, Hikvision will not have a booth on the GSX show floor. Instead, a contingency of Hikvision professionals will attend the conference and host partner meetings and product demonstrations in meeting facilities throughout the trade show.
"As a total solution provider, Hikvision looks forward to meeting with end users, A&E consultants, integrators and other partners to discuss how Hikvision's full suite of products can help address the challenges facing security directors and the broader C-Suite.”
