Closed-Circuit (CCTV)Systems and Broadcasts
CCTV Cameras and AV Devices are Frequent Cyberattack Targets
Closed-Circuit (CCTV) cameras and Internet of Things (IoT) devices are ubiquitous in both military and civilian settings, serving a vital and basic security function. Unfortunately, these same systems meant to protect sensitive locations are also frequently exploited by cybercriminals and nation state adversaries to steal information and gain intelligence.
Remote intrusions, backdoors, zero-day attacks, and brute-forcing credentials are frequent avenues that allow adversaries access to CCTV and audiovisual (AV) systems.1
Not only can access to these cameras and other IoT devices be used to spy on organizations, but they may also be used as a launching point to attack other internal and external systems.2
Usually, IP addresses and open inbound networking/device ports are required for maintenance, software updates, and camera feed access. These same open inbound ports can then be exploited by attackers.
Xiid SealedTunnel™ Secures CCTV Cameras, Broadcasts, and Other AV/IoT Devices
Xiid’s SealedTunnel secure tunneling solution hides cameras on public and private networks, closing all inbound ports on devices while still allowing efcient access to devices from authorized users.
Footage retrieval, software updates, and maintenance remain possible without needing open inbound ports or public IP addresses using SealedTunnel’s robust, outbound-only access architecture. All data is triple end-to-end encrypted between devices (or a lightweight same-subnet intermediary) and the end-user, meaning that nobody – not even Xiid – can ever decrypt and read the transmitted data, eliminating the risk of man-in-the-middle attacks or tampering.
Critically, SealedTunnel utilizes quantum-secure algorithms (Kyber key encapsulation and Dilithium digital signature), future-proofing AV footage and data security from future threats such as “Harvest Now, Decrypt Later”.3
In addition, since CCTV/AV devices often operate in remote locations, SealedTunnel is built to work robustly on “dirty”, hostile, and degraded networks with industry-leading packet delivery.
Using SealedTunnel makes CCTV/AV devices nearly invisible on the network and completely inaccessible to outside malicious actors yet improves operational performance without security compromises or trade-offs.
Military-Grade Xiid CCTV Architecture
On the next page are three sample CCTV/AV architecture diagrams that represent how Xiid may be used to close inbound firewall ports, secure access to CCTV, AV, and IoT systems, and triple-encrypt CCTV/AV data with quantum-secure algorithms. In each case, all data is routed exclusively through the SealedTunnel™ and neither cameras nor the control center require open inbound ports or public IP addresses. For use cases where an intermediary device is used for SealedTunnel™ connections, any Raspberry Pi or similar inexpensive device, processor, or server may be used.
1 https://facilitiesmanagementadvisor.blr.com/security/how-can-cctv-cameras-be-hacked/
2 https://www.ifsecglobal.com/installer-zone/hijack-surveillance-cameras-wake-up-call-security-industry/
3 https://www.keyfactor.com/blog/harvest-now-decrypt-later-a-new-form-of-attack/
