French National Police Buy 10,400 Hikvision Body Cameras

By Charles Rollet, Published May 31, 2018, 09:11am EDT

France’s national police forces bought 10,400 Hikvision body cameras earlier this year, in a high-profile deal that’s coming into effect as the US Congress considers legislation banning Hikvision’s products from government use due to espionage and cybersecurity fears.

In this note, we share details from Hikvision's French partner Allwan Security, consider the security concerns, and examine how Hikvision's body camera expansion could impact this market segment and its most well-known provider Taser / Axon.

Concerns ****** ** ****** *****

*** ****** *********** ** Lettre ****** ****** ************* ****** ********, * French ******** ****, ***** Hikvision **** ******* *** a $*.* ******* ******** Ministry ******** ***** ** *****. (***** ****** ***** had ********** ******** ** the ****  ********************* **** “*** ******” is “* ******** ***** surveillance ******.”)

** ****** * ********* Hikvision ** * ********* “Trojan ***** *** *******” due ** ********** ***** ****************** ******. ** **** ******* Allwan *** *** **** because ** * *** price.

Deal *******

**** *************************’* ********, ****** ** Fur [**** ** ****** available], ***** *** ****:

  • ** *** ********* **** the ******** ** *** 10,400 **** *******: *,*** for ******’* ******** ****** and *,*** *** *** gendarmerie. (** ******, ***** are ******** ********-***** ****** forces, *** ********** ***** that *** *********** ** overseen ** *** ******** while *** ******** ****** is ********.)
  • *** ***** ****** ***** used ***********’* ************, **** ***** ******** modifications *** * ****** firmware. ** *** ******** to **** * ***-**** cost *** *** *******.

  • *** ******* **** ** worn ** ******** *** helmets *** **** ******* to **** ******** ****** on ******** ** ******. The ******* **** ** facial *********** ********** *** they ******* ***** *** integrated ** (********* '** to * ******').
  • ******** **** ***** *** cameras ** “*****” ** police ******** ** ****** their ****; **** *** police ***** **** **** access ** *** *******.
  • *** **** ** ****** out **** * *-**** period, *** ******’* ***** batch ** ******* **** be ********* ** *** ministry ***** **** ****.
  • ** *** ******* *** bidding ******* *** “**** competitive” *** ******** ** security ********* ** *****.

Hikvision ******* **** ** ****, **** **********

** *** ****** **** against *** **** *** Hikvision **** ******* ********* a ******** ******** **** for ******, ****** ** was “**********” *** ***** to ******* **** ** its *********. “*****’* ** possible ************ [** *****],” he ****.

** ********, ** *** said *** ******** ******* had ** **** ************ or ***** ** *********’* cloud *******, ***-*******, *** that ****** ******** *** the ******** ********* ******** with ****** ********.

Hikvision ****** ***** ****** ********

*******, ** *** **** that ****** ****** ******* with ********* ** ****** the ****** ********. **** custom ******** ****’* **** in ***** ** ***** security *****; ******, *** purpose *** ** **** interior ******** ************** **** ensuring ******** ******’* ****** footage ** ****.

************* ********** ******** ** a *********** ***********, *** Allwan *** **** ****** 10 *********, ********* * engineers, ********* ** ** Fur. *********’* *********** **** Allwan ******* *** ********** to ******* ******* ** the ********’* *******, ******* it *** *** ********, Le *** ****. (****** is * ****** ******* of *********, ****** *** equipment ******** **** *** factory.)

*** **** **** ******’* price *** ***** **** its ***********’, **** ** **** quoted ****** *-* ***** Allwan’s ***, ****** ****** win ** ****, ** Fur *****.

*******

*** *** **** ****** cost ** ~$***, ******** a $*.* ******* ***** deal *** **,*** *******. That ** ****** *** for **** *******, **** Western ************* ********* ******* them, ** ****** *****, at * *********** ******* to ****. ** ********* has **** **** ** undercut ******* ** ** cameras, * ******* ******** is ***** ****** *** body *******, * ******* market ** **** ****** departments ******* ***** ***.

Axon / ***** ***********

****, ******** *****, ** *** ******* brand ** **** *******, known *********** '****' **** ********* ****** *********** *** for******** ******* ***********. ***** ******** ***** is *** ******** ** Hikvision's, **** **** ******** on ****** *** ***** from ************* (*.*., **** away *** ******, **** it ** ** ******* storage ********). ** ********, Hikvision's ******** ***** ******* the **** *****, ** many ****** *********** ***** prefer ** ***** *****-****** storage *****, ****** ******* for ***-**** *********.

“A *********** **** *** *****”

** *** **** ***** was ** ****** *** Allwan’s *********** **** ********* on * ******** ****** contract ** ***** ********.

“**'* * *********** **** any *****,” ** ****. “I **** *** ********** the ***** *** ************ attacked *********.”

*** ****** ******** ******** did *** ******* ** IPVM’s ********* *** *******.

Comments (19)

John Honovich

IPVM | 05/31/18 01:22pm

We are trying to report on more stories outside the US. Charles is a native French speaker who also speaks Spanish and Russian, so if you have ideas for stories in different parts of the world where Charles might be able to help, just post it here or email charles@ipvm.com or john@ipvm.com

Undisclosed #1

05/31/18 01:22pm

As evidence, Le Fur said the modified cameras had no WiFi capabilities or links to Hikvision’s cloud service, Hik-Connect, and that Allwan replaced all the original Hikvision firmware with custom firmware.

This may be true, but they do not know what code is running in the SoC chipset itself. Granted, it is highly unlikely that Hikvision or the SoC vendor has some kind of deeply-buried trojan-horse, but it is also not at all impossible.

Additionally, it is reasonable to assume that new firmware for these will be released over time. These updates could each contain a piece of a backdoor, done in a way as to not make it obvious a backdoor was being added. This approach was used years ago in the DirectTV Black Sunday Kill, for example. Hikvision could easily pass this off as "security checks" or other necessary bits of code buried in the firmware, assuming that anyone would even be deeply examining those updates in the first place.

When you are dealing with embedded hardware like security cameras, body cameras, access control boards and so forth you are implicitly granting trust to every major entity that has a hand in the software AND the hardware.

If the French government feels they can fully and unequivocally trust Hikvision, HiSilicon (or whoever did the SoC), and the Chinese government, among others, then they should have no concerns. If they do not trust ALL of these entities fully, then custom firmware is not a solution.

Avatar

Michael Gonzalez

Integrated Security Technologies, Inc.
In reply to Undisclosed #1 | 06/04/18 09:17pm

Now here's a guy that's using his head. Good points.

Undisclosed Distributor #2

06/01/18 09:25am

Once again Hivision by-passed the distribution channel and goes direct, pffft.

Avatar

Mick Brown

In reply to Undisclosed Distributor #2 | 06/01/18 05:33pm

Yes hik dahua follow the old British rule of divide and conquer

continuing to weaken partners anD

oem partners

this will increase bad debts as more

and more customers get squeezed on margin and sales

volumes drop 

Avatar

Mick Brown

06/01/18 03:13pm

It’s unlikely in my view that hikvision have the expertise to make the body worn cameras

and probably rebranded from an incumbent Chinese supplier

the Chinese market is 750000 body worn cameras per annum

and this looks like a premium price of anything a basic body worn camera should be sub 150 usd for this volume

if Anything they over paid

worth investigating but I don’t believe either dahua or hikvision make body worn camera

merely buy they in and rebrand

Undisclosed Manufacturer #3

06/02/18 08:14am

Factory cost of this unit at this quantity would be around $60-70usd.

Assume there is some software backend, and additional equipment. It's fair to say someone is buying a nice new car and house with the profits on this little number.

2Inch screen, poor battery life, this is an old outdated device.

Hikvision don't specify the firmware or SoC inside. but my guess it's an Ambarella solution, because HiSilicon solutions use too much power and suck at being a Body Camera.

My guess is A7 solution.

Let's hope they don't put the laser on the devices and go blind someone these units all build in China are all the same, it's designed for domestic use. And lacks a lot of security  features, like no encrypted video!

 

Avatar

Mick Brown

In reply to Undisclosed Manufacturer #3 | 06/02/18 08:26am

No china have a widespread of professional products in

this sector and are moving to new ambrallea a5 chip with facedetection 

so they have much better solutions

this could also be mtec rather than ambrelia 

the spec is just awful

Who on their right mind signed off on this entry model

Undisclosed Manufacturer #3

In reply to Mick Brown | 06/02/18 09:20am

Someone signed it off because they must of given lot of bottle of plonk!

I would also say the products are not professional, Nobody in China has encryption on the video. Smack open these units, put SDcard into a PC and read the contents.

I've been unable to locate a body camera on the fcc.io, so would seem indeed Hikvision with their mountains of cash for sure can't or don't make a BWC.

Avatar

Mick Brown

In reply to Undisclosed Manufacturer #3 | 06/02/18 09:43am

I don’t believe hik

make anything more than buy in bwc 

no encryption may comtravein

gdpr

maybe the French police can arrest themselves 

Undisclosed #4

In reply to Mick Brown | 06/02/18 05:01pm

"maybe the French police can arrest themselves"

THAT was funny!  :)

Avatar

Mick Brown

In reply to Undisclosed #4 | 06/02/18 05:15pm

Even funnier macron banging on about gdpr

and then arms the

police with

non encrypted body worn cameras

In breech of article 6

on gdpr

perhaps he should

read it before he

tells everyone how

great it is

Avatar

Mick Brown

In reply to Undisclosed Manufacturer #3 | 06/02/18 09:45am

You can also do this with. Old dahua units take out the hdd

Undisclosed #4

In reply to Undisclosed Manufacturer #3 | 06/02/18 05:02pm

$2,800,000 / 10,400 = $269.23/ea

very nice margin

Undisclosed #4

In reply to Undisclosed #4 | 06/03/18 10:27pm

ok, this may seem to some as pathetic and needy - but in reality it is just my own personal OCD:

How can 2 people disagree with math?

Avatar

Mick Brown

In reply to Undisclosed #4 | 06/04/18 04:28am

Nobody was arguing about anything

in the original Thread this was put forward as low price 

we merely speculated this looked expensive was the point

and they used a low cost model 

they don’t specify chipset their is entry mtec chip and not the expensive ambrelia range

suppliers should specify their are 100s of usd between chipsets

in my view ambrelia is excellent

So is Sony but everyone in volume opts for omnivision and hisiiicon 

make manufactures specify chipsets like pc companies do

intel inside for example

also the model of body worn camera and almost all Chinese dvr/nvr do not encrypt video so break gdpr

in fact dahua use a standard dfs

disk filing system so a hard drive can be taken out and read on a pc

 

Avatar

Mick Brown

06/02/18 05:06pm

Sure is a sweet deal

1.5 m in your pocket 

Undisclosed #4

In reply to Mick Brown | 06/02/18 05:15pm

probably more like 1 m - as the pockets of the deal makers most probably contain the remaining .5 m

Avatar

Charles Rollet

12/15/20 09:47am

UPDATE: French newspaper l'Express reports that there is a new, 15 million euro ($18.2m) tender from the French Interior Ministry for 30,000 police body cams and Hikvision is competing for it. L'Express asked the Ministry about the US government's NDAA and human rights sanctions but the Ministry declined to comment. The tender process finishes on January 5, 2021.

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