In recent years, governments around the world have become increasingly wary of using technologies linked to foreign governments in their critical infrastructure. When it comes to surveillance, national security cannot be overlooked and turning to Australian technology is the only way to ensure sensitive information is not compromised.

The recent removal of Chinese camera and surveillance technology, particularly Hikvision, Dahua, and Huawei, from Australian government and defence applications has raised concerns about the security risks posed by these technologies. With their strong links to government and defence entities, these technologies have long been the subject of scrutiny from governments around the world.

Similarly, for Australian security and surveillance company Spectur, the importance of Australian-owned and made surveillance equipment has always been at the forefront of its technology.

Spectur builds its electronics in Australia using componentry that is acceptable in the USA and Australia, and writes its own code for its devices and in the cloud. Spectur’s data is stored in a secure regional Azure cloud, while its Australia and New Zealand teams handle  everything from designing, manufacturing, assembling and installing the technology.

With everything from the designing, manufacturing and coding done in Australia, Spectur technology is designed to protect and secure sensitive official information from disastrous security breaches.

Technology that comes with risks

The concerns around foreign-owned camera and surveillance technology centre on the potential for these technologies to be used for espionage and cyber-attacks. With their close links to foreign government and defence entities, there are concerns that these technologies could be used to gather sensitive information, disrupt critical infrastructure, or even launch cyber-attacks on other governments.

These concerns have led to a growing push to remove foreign-owned camera and surveillance technology from critical infrastructure around the world. 

For example, the United States has banned the use of Hikvision and Dahua cameras by federal agencies. Similarly, in the United Kingdom, the government has launched a review of the use of Chinese technology in its critical infrastructure.

As Spectur’s CEO, Dr Gerard Dyson, notes, “We’ve always been aware of the risks associated with using foreign-owned camera and surveillance technology, which is why we’ve taken a different approach to building and delivering our technology.

“We believe that our approach is the right one, and the recent removal of Chinese technology from government and defence facilities is a validation of our approach.”

Secure and reliable surveillance

Spectur’s standard camera and sensor systems are designed and tested in Australia for harsh Australian conditions. 

Spectur’s native hardware technology is built from the bottom up with electronic componentry and generic processors in hardened casings, driven by Spectur firmware and edge software. This core electronics platform is then mated to modular sensors, cameras, or action devices that are physically constrained from communicating outside of the Spectur core electronics.  

Spectur cloud software has been similarly developed locally with strict security protocols and the benefits of more than 30 million field hours of experience. This means that customers can be confident that they are using a hardy, secure and reliable technology platform that is not subject to environmental and security risks posed by foreign-developed camera and surveillance technology.

Protecting sensitive data

For Spectur, the recent removal of Chinese camera and surveillance technology from government and defence facilities, including most recently the ABC facilities at Ultimo, is a validation of its approach to building and delivering secure and reliable technology. 

By using componentry that is acceptable in the USA and Australia and writing its own code, Spectur’s hardware and software adheres to the highest data security standards, which helps to avoid potential security risks associated with transferring or storing data in foreign servers. 

Using Australian cloud storage, AI and processing, Spectur’s systems are designed to be customisable to suit different requirements and solutions for clients. Spectur systems can be integrated with custom hardware and software, including third-party security, safety, warning, communication and AI systems. This adaptability allows Spectur systems to offer bespoke solutions for clients in a variety of industries, particularly critical infrastructure, government and defence.

Finding a different approach

While the concerns around foreign-owned camera and surveillance technology are likely to persist for some time, companies like Spectur are offering a viable alternative for those who are looking for secure and reliable platforms. 

By building its technology and writing its own code, these companies are able to offer a technology platform that is free from the security risks posed by foreign-owned camera and surveillance technology, but are also designed with Australian customers in mind.

Spectur’s Australian designed and made technology can provide reliable and secure options to keep national sensitive information and data protected.

For more information on reducing shark attacks and using Spectur’s smart solutions to enhance community safety, download our whitepaper Sense, think, act: how smart technology is making communities safer here or call 1300 802 960 and talk to our team about finding the right solution for your unique onsite challenges.