The widespread use of surveillance cameras — including foreign-made systems — not only raises concerns over embedded security vulnerabilities but also heightens risks of espionage and broader national security threats.By Ailin Vilches Arguello, The AlgemeinerIsrael’s widespread use of internet-connected Chinese surveillance cameras could pose a major security risk, a new analysis warns, potentially enabling Iran and its terrorist proxies to infiltrate live feeds, gather intelligence, and assist in the targeting of sensitive infrastructure and civilian areas.According to a report by the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), Iran and Hezbollah have intensified coordinated efforts since the outbreak of this year’s war with the US and Israel to breach surveillance camera networks across the Jewish state, using the systems to collect intelligence, identify missile impact locations, and track potential targets.The rapid spread of Chinese-made surveillance systems is creating a potentially dangerous intelligence vulnerability, with civilian camera networks increasingly seen as tools that hostile foreign actors could exploit for strategic monitoring and security operations.In the past, Israel has also leveraged Iranian surveillance infrastructure for intelligence operations, specifically hacking Tehran’s traffic camera network to systematically track senior leadership and their security circles, providing the crucial data required to successfully execute the targeted killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Feb. 28.Even though networked camera systems are intended to strengthen security and improve monitoring and control, the INSS report by research associate Yuval Less warns they can also become critical vulnerabilities if exploited by hostile actors for intelligence gathering and surveillance purposes.The widespread use of surveillance cameras — including foreign-made systems — not only raises concerns over embedded security vulnerabilities but also heightens risks of espionage and broader national security threats, especially where sensitive visual data may be intercepted, exploited, or repurposed by hostile actors.Based on artificial intelligence and IoT technologies, modern surveillance cameras can now analyze activity in real time and detect behavioral patterns, but these same capabilities also expose the systems to cyber intrusions, remote hijacking, data breaches, and privacy violations.The report suggests that such systems could effectively function as “eyes and ears” for enemy actors, enabling intelligence collection, continuous surveillance, and support for operational planning.Specifically, experts say the widespread use of Chinese surveillance technology in Israel presents a complex mix of geopolitical, technological, and security challenges that demand closer scrutiny from government and intelligence authorities.These vulnerabilities come into sharper focus amid the deepening strategic alignment between China and Iran, fueling concerns that Iran-linked actors could increasingly exploit such systems for surveillance, intelligence collection, and other operational uses against Israel.In recent years, the United States has repeatedly warned about the security risks associated with Chinese technology, with the US Department of Homeland Security cautioning that Chinese-made surveillance cameras could potentially be used for espionage targeting critical infrastructure.The Iranian regime has previously relied on Chinese technology for strategic security purposes, with past instances pointing to a broader pattern of using such systems for intelligence gathering and surveillance operations.According to a study by the international human rights organization Article 19, the Islamist regime used Chinese and Russian technology to silence dissent during nationwide anti-government protests earlier this year, imposing near-total internet shutdowns and disrupting satellite communications in an effort to suppress public scrutiny.“In its pursuit of total control over the digital space, Iran borrows directly from the Chinese digital authoritarian playbook,” Michael Caster, head of Article 19’s Global China Program, said in a statement.“From Chinese companies embedded inside Iran’s infrastructure, to Iran’s support for China’s ‘cyber sovereignty’ principles based on censorship and surveillance, both countries align in their ambition to disconnect their populations from the open, global internet,” he continued.According to the report, China has provided material and technical support to Iran since at least 2010, bolstering its surveillance and censorship capabilities as Chinese firms including ZTE, Huawei, Tiandy, and Hikvision continue operating in the country despite international sanctions.The post Chinese cameras in Israel could be exploited by Iran, expert warns appeared first on World Israel News.