Subscriber Discussion

Hikvision Dealer Round Table - Here Is What They Had To Say

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #1
Mar 27, 2017

At a recent Expo - I had joined a round table discussion with security companies. There were 10 security dealers at the table. i asked about Hikvision - 6 said they only Hikvision and 3 said they sell it but it is just one of they brands they sell. NOTE: they did tell me that they are primarily residential and small business sales companies.

This took place a few months ago.

 

I asked the group 3 questions and thought i would share their candid responses:

 

QUESTION: Are you worried about Hikvision security and possibility of being hacked?

RESPONSES:

no one seems to care and it is all just a bunch of hype because the chinese government owns the company.

Everyone thinks there is a conspiracy - "just because the Chinese Government owns the company.

Bottom line = Customers want good products that are inexpensive. Half the items in my house are made in China.

Hikvision cameras are great, great video, great quality and low price. PERIOD.

Even if you are not selling Hikvision - you are probably selling Hikvision. They make cameras for just about everyone.

 

QUESTION: We are in the "security" industry. Isn't it our job to stand up for customers and find the best security products for them? (is it right to be selling products that "seem" to have security issues)

RESPONSES:

"I have to eat" or "I have expensive toys" or "don't believe all the IPVM hype" or "why would they care? They bought cheap router and switches. They are more vulnerable than the cameras."

"if you are that worried - put it on it's own network and not on the customers LAN"

 

QUESTION:

Aren't you worried about liability from being sued? Do you carry Cyber-security insurance?

RESPONSE:

No. People sue everyone for no reason. I have very good T's&C's and why would they sue me, they would sue the manufacturer. cyber-security insurance is a joke.

Even if someone could prove the hack came from the camera, as long as I change the default password - how could I be held liable? Cyber-security insurance is a joke.

How could it be my fault they were hacked? It is not my fault, it is the manufacturer.

These small businesses have cheap routers and almost no security anyway. How could adding a camera make it any worse. They obviously want low price, not high security.

 

thought these were all very interesting. Thought I would share.

 

NOTICE: This comment was moved from an existing discussion: Always Choose HIKVISION

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JH
John Honovich
Mar 28, 2017
IPVM

#1, thanks for sharing this. Very informative.

Their responses are consistent with what we have heard from residential / SMB dealers.

Did the dealers mention anything about Hikvision support / availability? That is the other thing that often is not stated but is clearly there - that Hikvision does the most to reach out to them, to train them, to support them, etc. To me, that is the breakthrough of Hikvision - no one has ever been so willing to spend as heavily to win over small dealers with their small revenue streams to the manufacturer.

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CH
Corbin Hambrick
Mar 28, 2017

Was this an Expo of the bottom feeders?

Sounds like it.

Not a market I'm in, but God bless em for making money to feed their families however they feel "comfortable" doing it.

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UD
Undisclosed Distributor #8
Mar 28, 2017

In a world of 7 Billion human beings you're going to find a lot of mediocrity and justification. I'm not surprised at all, money acquisition is the largest religion in the world.

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MC
Marty Calhoun
Mar 28, 2017
IPVMU Certified

This is not informative at all really, its made up BS because if it was REAL the person floating this would have a NAME. Sorry Charlie but I for one have been there and have asked these same questions and these are not anywhere near the responses that the gentleman and women that actually do write the software are concerned with. They are not a bunch of clowns setting around eating rice and talking like high school kids. Sorry to inform but HIKVISION does employ doctors and engineers that do give a shit about cyber-security. Remember what you are saying today it might just jump up and bite you on the ass in short order. And just to set the another BS record straight there were 21 dealers from across the USA at this "round table" discussion. This  is not news worthy, This is unsubstantiated crap that has no factual information to it. If you want to challenge something and make up stories at least be 1/2 honest and show your name, damn!

This is a new low for IPVM!!

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UE
Undisclosed End User #2
Mar 28, 2017

I wouldn't want my name on the original post either. It appears to be written by an industry peer, not a self-promoting journalist. I'd want the anonymity too as we all have enough drama in our lives. 

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JH
John Honovich
Mar 29, 2017
IPVM

Sorry Charlie but I for one have been there and have asked these same questions and these are not anywhere near the responses that the gentleman and women that actually do write the software are concerned with. They are not a bunch of clowns setting around eating rice and talking like high school kids.

What?? U1 is describing feedback from American Hikvision dealers, not from Hikvision employees. I think you have misunderstood. 

Again, U1 is not claiming to have talked to the people who 'write the software' at Hikvision. He is talking about regular US based security dealers who resell Hikvision.

Marty, does that make sense?

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UI
Undisclosed Integrator #3
Mar 29, 2017

"Remember what you are saying today it might just jump up and bite you on the ass in short order."

 

Or you might end up on a special "list" in China.

 

UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #7
Apr 03, 2017

Probably already on the list!

U
Undisclosed #4
Mar 29, 2017
IPVMU Certified

...there were 21 dealers from across the USA at this "round table"...

I can confirm at ISC West I saw "21" dealers at round tables also.

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Mick Brown
Apr 03, 2017

Marty I don't think you know the incompetence of hikvision

mediocracy is an under estimation of their incompetence 

they deliberate over state specifications they can deliver on and quickly move to new products telling everyone to forget the past 

they pedal poor products

as their first mAjour export partner world wide

i found unbelievable how bad their products were 

their lead programmer hard drive crashed no back ups had to rewrite software 

their cameras so bad I asked mr hu ceo of hikvision buy a leader fit one of these cameras their poorly designed 

look at it from an installation point of view

 

U
Undisclosed #4
Apr 04, 2017
IPVMU Certified

their cameras so bad I asked mr hu ceo of hikvision buy a leader fit one of these cameras their poorly designed.

Do you think he understood you?

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Mick Brown
Apr 04, 2017

Predictive text on iPhone 

Avatar
Mick Brown
Apr 04, 2017

They get free r and d from you

so can improve overime

you help them make products better

so in future they can steal your customers directly

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #1
Mar 29, 2017

REPONSE / UPDATE:

this was a security dealer round table discussion. "just happened" that most of the table almost always sold Hikvision.

They did not seem to be bottom feeders. 7 of the 10 were the owners of the company. I know that 5 of them said they were active in their local Alarm Association. Maybe they were giving me "snarky" responses (like I have to eat), because they did get defensive and little irritated when I asked about recent articles about Hikvision cyber-security issues.

I will say they felt comfortable with Hikvision. They also tried to justify it to me for the same reasons Marty mentioned i.e. HikVision is a reputable company, they are HUGE and sell more cameras than anyone, they are in the security industry and they would NOT do anything like put in back doors, they would not do anything that would affect their sales, etc. etc. etc.

FYI: Our topic at the table for this session was Cyber-Security risks and liability. But the underlying fact I found was none of them seemed concerned about cyber-security when it came to camera systems (not just HikVision). When we discussed cloud or hosted - cyber-security was very concerning.       Found this interesting: why the double standard? When I sell it, not a problem. BUT if I am tied to the system with hosted or cloud, now I care.....??..??

ALSO - probably a different discussion - but would like to note that everyone at the table stated that Cyber-security insurance is JOKE. Even at other sessions where I asked about Cyber-security insurance, everyone stated that is a joke. the insurance companies don't know how to insure or how to write the T's&C's of the policy.

 

John;   yes they did mention their rep. They bragged that they get great support from their reps and great training. Consistently almost all dealers bragged about HikVision Company.

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UE
Undisclosed End User #5
Mar 29, 2017

money talks, as you say, they don't give a fuck

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Mick Brown
Apr 03, 2017

Yes typical response from installers 

get the cheque to the bank while the ink is still wet

fast bucks for trunk slammers

wouldnt know how to demo or offer customer credible alternatives

just wait for the class action suit I guess

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Mick Brown
Apr 03, 2017

just how stupid are these people

hikvision assemble cameras the main parts come from sony omnivision hisilicon

in analogue cameras very little technology is supplied by hikvision techpoint is the main tvi chip

ip sure hik have to write the onvif ip software stack which is an industry standard

if hik dahua actually listed what was in their cameras nvr dvr you would have greater transparency

and see hik and dahua are in fact expensive

if you dont specify the lens they can call products 5 mp but only supply a 4mp lens

the industry requires detail specifications so dummies can make informed decisions

 

UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #6
Apr 03, 2017

The one question I ask that almost always knocks Hikvision out is:

"If the USA and China ever went to War, don't you think the Chinese Government would use every tool at their disposal to win?"

 It's not Hyperbole - It's an absolute truth that the next war will be fought every bit as much in cyberspace as on the ground

 

Food for thought

 

NOTICE: This comment has been moved to its own discussion: "If The USA And China Ever Went To War, Don't You Think The Chinese Government Would Use Every Tool At Their Disposal To Win?"

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Mick Brown
Apr 03, 2017

arent they already !

 

 

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