Surveillance camera boom raises privacy risks in Việt Nam

Surveiilance camera footage for sale in an online group. — Photo phapluatchinhsach.vn

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam is expected to have over 20 million surveillance cameras in operation by 2050, raising concerns about privacy and security risks.

Statistical data shows that the country imports about 3.2 million surveillance cameras annually, most of which are from China, with popular brands like Dahua and Xiaomi dominating the market.

Watchdog agencies are concerned that the surge of surveillance cameras would pose higher privacy and security risks to users as hackers can exploit vulnerabilities in those devices to steal personal data and launch cyberattacks.

They found that over 800,000 surveillance cameras in Việt Nam have been compromised, with data being leaked online. Of these, nearly half are at risk of being taken over.

Worse still, hundreds of online groups have emerged, selling leaked surveillance footage for between US$8 and $40 per clip.

The Ministry of Information and Communications is working on a new regulation - the National Technical Regulation on Basic Information Security Requirements for Internet Protocol Surveillance Cameras - to raise the bar on surveillance data security.

Under the regulation, all surveillance cameras will be required to be managed with safe passwords, undergo regular software updates and strong data communication protection to prevent denial-of-service attacks and other threats.

The regulation will also establish data encryption and access management rules to ensure the security of personal information.

Its scope will cover Vietnamese and foreign entities operating in Việt Nam, who are involved in research, development, assessment and the use of surveillance devices. — VNS