Compliance with the McCain Act: The Ban on Dahua and Hikvision
By Identiv Government Team
As reported by the the NY Times, the global opposition to Hikvision is rising, and the Trump administration is considering sanctions against Hikvision and Dahua. The situation is truly growing more serious by the day, and if you have thus far, you cannot continue to ignore it.
In regard to freezing assets, any dealer currently selling Hikvision or Dahua must imminently worry about getting paid, getting product, and getting support. At bare minimum, contingencies need to be in place.
The Australian military is now following suit, and soon, the ban will spread to all commonwealth countries. And it is impossible to ignore the violations against human rights, detailed further in the Magnitsky Act, for those who are not yet aware of the implications.
The President has just passed some very clear, impactful legislation. What do you know about the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 2019? Check out this helpful video to get you up-to-speed with NDAA. In a nutshell, the ban on Dahua and Hikvision video surveillance equipment here in the U.S. means that if you haven’t already, it’s wise to start planning your path to compliance now.
What to Know
The head of every U.S. federal agency will have to submit a survey of all installed equipment directly to Congress. And the “phase out and eliminate” language of the NDAA means that even though you have a year to comply, if you’ve got Dahua and Hikvision equipment, it’s already obsolete.
What to Do
This imminent U.S. ban on Dahua and Hikvision video surveillance equipment means those cameras, readers, and VMS have got to go, including those provided by Dahua and Hikvision affiliates (companies OEM-ing Dahua and Hikvision as their own products). We won’t name names, but a quick search will reveal how far-reaching this ban is destined to become. It’s time to plan the migration process and stay informed.
Regarding Timing
NDAA allows a year before it takes full effect, but because it requires removal of the equipment, any deployments from now on may come into question, and they’ll have to be removed eventually — not the best use of your budget dollars if you’re just going to have to re-spend them in a year or so. Obviously, some installations can’t be altered immediately, and under all circumstances, the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and applicable procurement regulations and processes have to be followed, so there’s bound to be some forbearance up to a point. But there also could be some scrutiny of how promptly measures are taken to minimize expenditures that will soon have to be replaced.
How Identiv Can Help
We make migrations from Dahua and Hikvision to 3VR by Identiv’s VMS simple. If you have Hikvision cameras connected to our VMS, we can easily replace them. And we’ll take the legwork out of your complex site surveys, ensure what equipment is where, and help you plan what to do about it. As more information comes to the surface, we’re here to help you navigate this new sea change. Identiv’s award-winning physical access control, video surveillance and intelligence, and smart card readers portfolio are among only a handful of solutions actually made in the U.S.A. — your peace of mind is our priority.
Why Identiv?
We have the expertise through our long experience with our Hirsch access control systems, installed across over dozens of federal agencies and departments over more than two decades, and through our 3VR video platform, developed with more than a decade of investment, including the government’s own technology investment team at IQT.
Also, we are compliant with the new act with NO equipment sourced from Dahua and Hikvision. On the video side, our systems are built in the U.S.A (Wisconsin and Arizona, to be specific), so we’re a completely compliant party when it comes to site surveys. Other companies have their own products affected by the NDAA, so they might find it difficult to be completely objective about remediation since they’re affected.
Lastly, the NDAA cites specific Chinese vendors, but ultimately, the most solid source to partner for your long-term plan is a fully U.S.A.-based, owned, operated and managed company. That’s Identiv. It’s surprising how many companies are Chinese or otherwise foreign-owned and foreign-based. As a trusted partner, we have the expertise, people, commitment, and shared interests with you and our government.
To get the migration process started, book a 1:1 meeting today with an expert on the Identiv Government Team. Things are bound to get messy, so let us help you clean up the situation before you run out of time.