Digital locks are known as a secure method for protecting valuables in homes, offices, and various commercial enterprises. These locks have recently become the target of Chinese internet spies.
What does this situation affect? What does the interception of these digital locks cause?
Why Chinese Internet spies are after digital locks?
According to information provided by United States Senator Ron Wyden, Chinese-made digital locks such as SECURAM have vulnerabilities known as “backdoors“.
These backdoors are special codes that can be accessed through manufacturer reset codes and used to reset locks or open them in emergencies. Wyden’s concern is that the Chinese government could use the codes for espionage purposes.
SECURAM is a Chinese company that produces digital locks, fingerprint readers, and other security systems. Founded in 2008, the company is headquartered in Shenzhen. Its products are sold in more than 80 countries worldwide.
Returning to our topic, Wyden notes that SECURAM, which is headquartered in China, must comply with Chinese law requiring it to cooperate with requests for secret surveillance.
Trade secrets and other sensitive information are vital to a company’s competitiveness. The theft of such information can cause a company to suffer significant financial losses and damage to its reputation. For example, if spies compromise a company’s new product development plans or manufacturing processes, competitors can gain a market lead, and the company loses its competitive advantage.
So, what should we do to reduce this risk?
Governments, particularly the US government, can impose stricter rules on using Chinese-made digital locks and ensure that the vulnerabilities of these products are audited.
Companies can increase investments in cybersecurity to improve data security and reduce the risk of being targeted by Chinese spies. They can use stronger encryption algorithms, provide cybersecurity awareness training to their employees, and tighten data access controls.
It is important to do your research and choose a reliable brand before purchasing digital locks. You should also keep your locks up to date and store manufacturer reset codes in a safe place.
Digital locks are just one example. With the development of technology, cyber security is becoming increasingly important every day.
While digital locks are convenient and secure tools, it is important to be aware of the risk that Chinese spies can use backdoors to steal trade secrets. To mitigate this risk, governments, companies, and individual users should work together to raise cybersecurity awareness and take necessary precautions.
Featured image credit: Barış Selman / DALL-E 3
