Is your video doorbell a security risk?

They’re so handy to see who is knocking on your door and check if you need to rush to answer it.

Video doorbells are also a good way of checking if anyone untoward is trying to access your home while you’re not in.

But a forensics expert at Birmingham City University has raised questions about the security of Chinese-made devices readily available to buy on the internet.

Richard Hale, senior lecturer and course director of digital forensics at BCU, video doorbells could be a ‘back door’ into the country’s national security.

Mr Hale has raised these serious questions after the new head of MI6, Richard Moore, warned of China’s “debt traps and data traps” in a live broadcast interview last week.

Mr Moore told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that China has the ability to “harvest data from around the world” and uses money to “get people on the hook”.

What has BCU security expert Richard Hale said about these concerns about Chinese-made video doorbells in his own words?

Mr Hale said: “China is absolutely a country of concern when it comes to hacking, data harvesting and the use of their technology in our personal and professional infrastructures here in the UK.

“Internet of Things (IoT) devices – eg hardware which uses Wi-Fi to communicate - bought by many of us are often produced in China with corresponding data centres also residing there.

“One example might be how many video doorbells now exist in the UK, how many are produced by Chinese companies, and therefore how many video transmissions and recordings are routed through Chinese servers.”

He continued: “We assume that these video feeds, which link to remote servers and app or web portals, are fully encrypted and that no one can view or download the feed. However any third party such as the manufacturer, could theoretically access the video, and the audio functions including listening to conversations of people close by.

“Could external parties have eyes in hundreds or thousands of locations without having to tap into professional CCTV run by local authorities? Or alternatively, could a third party also disable feeds giving a no video surveillance’ corridor?

“We’ve already seen UK law enforcement using video doorbells and other private CCTV to aid in investigations. Flipping that process to suit more nefarious ambitions could open the country up very easily.

“Good practice when purchasing any of these devices starts with the brand. Do your research, look for confirmation of a privacy policy. Is your data encrypted, who has access to it, and is 2FA (two-factor authentication) on offer? Consumers must practice good password hygiene and when camera apps ask for location information, it is sensible to deny the request.”

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