Hikvision Dealer Losing "Hundreds Of Thousands" In Orders

Double the markup for him.  Win Win. 

Agreed. Some months ago I made the point that the safety of the network was the defining part of the install, not the fw in the camera. The replies given stated that doing those things for a network was too much work and no one would do it.

A few months down the line EU Law makes sure you have to spend time and energy on a good network.

If your network and software (Genetec) are good, there is nothing to be worried about.

The Hik block is purely political, not technial.

OK, installed...this does not in any way mean that these cameras did anything or were connected to any path that even 'could' see the Internet so this is a moot point.

No, that's wrong. NexGen themselves, in Hikvision's own 2014 press release said:

Also, in the same press release, Nickelson boasted about them passing government certification:

"Very few products and systems, past or present, carry this elite designation and meet the requirements of the RMF (and, previously, DIACAP) certification processes," affirmed Chris Nickelson, co-owner of NexGen.

And yet, the magic string backdoor was there the entire time, undetected.

If that is not 'meat and potatoes' for him or you, nothing will be.

We covered this here: Chinese Government Hikvision Surveillance System On US Government Network

OK, installed...this does not in any way mean that these cameras did anything or were connected to any path that even 'could' see the Internet so this is a moot point.

I've written and deleted a few responses to your comment. I will just say this, you are wasting your money on an IPVM subscription if you are not reading and comprehending the materials published regarding the threats and risks associated with Hikvision products. 

I'm stunned that we'd even be having this conversation.

A vulnerability can allow access to a well defended network. The basic premise of network security is called "Defense in Depth". It requires each portion of the network to be defended to the greatest extent possible. Just because the "security professional" doesn't know how to secure a network doesn't mean that the manufacturer should also get a free pass.

Since security networks almost always contain network drops outside the security perimeter, the security of these networks present risks that can't be mitigated at a firewall on the internet connection. We should be discussing how to increase network security not defending manufacturers that don't understand network security.

You'll be suprised, but pretty much everywhere in the world - and probably in places where they don't even have any money at all - people want to give less to take more. 
I guess it is a part of human nature. 

Not all end-customers are on budget, but those who are want to get the most bang for their buck. You won't be able to persuade a grocery store owner that a 2 cam Axis system is better than 16 cam Hikvision job.

I don't understand how it is costing tens of thousands of dollars to test out a new product line. Most reputable manufacturers will give you demo gear to try out as a loaner or sometimes even to keep.

That was my first thought as well when I read that section. Tons of manufacturers would love the chance to displace Hik and would send both equipment and people to help with the process. The only way I could see spending $20K+ to explore Hikvision alternatives is if the tests were being conducted at a combination strip club/cocaine dealer, and even then you'd have to be a helluva tipper to run up that tab.

But Internet today is not like it was 20 years ago...

No, it’s not.  20 years ago, you could get away with hardcoding passwords right in your firmware, but not today.  Now, the tools researchers use for discovering exploits, whether intentional (backdoors) or just sloppy coding, are increasingly effective at finding things that might have gone unnoticed before.

Likewise, networks themselves (and their gateway devices) are under increased and sophisticated attack, so the possibility of unauthorized network access cannot be ruled out.

Therefore, to have any real confidence in the cyber security of your system relies on both clean devices and a safe network, in case one turns out to be not so.

The age-old dilemma of who is responsible for security, the manufacturer or the installer, has become moot, as both are equally culpable for their defects.

No kidding......Anyone please provide documentation where any Hikvision device jumped up and connected itself to a network that Hikvision was responsible for? Won't happen, never has happened....

It is more foolish than the Gun debate, do they jump up on their own and kill people?

Dealers that use knowledgeable, experienced and educated networking professionals know this also and many obviously install Hikvision every day....

Attention undisclosed Integrator #10. You would do well not to generalize Hikvision dealers as the guys looking for the cheapest camera at ADI. I can't and won't speak for everyone but we use Hik not because it is the cheapest but because it offers the best balance of value, features and availability. We tested several cameras over the course of several months to evaluate day/night performance, throughput, motion detection, VMS compatibility, etc. We don't install cameras in military or Government facilities and our solutions include a completely discrete network that we monitor and support to minimize issues and control security. We have yet to hear of any of our installations being hacked or breached. No doubt we would have far less installations to worry about if we had used "higher end" cameras since our competition would have eaten our lunch on most of the jobs we quoted.

Your comments have no basis in fact and do nothing other than demonstrate a snobbish air of superiority that many larger supposed "high end" integrators seem to have. We will continue to take the high road with our "low end" Hik solution .... all the way to the bank.