YES Most successful CCTV hacks require factory default credentials. "admin/admin". "admin/12345". In 2025, Nozomi Networks found that default credential brute-forcing was the single leading attack technique across all IoT incidents they tracked. Hikvision cameras are used in airports, hospitals, government buildings, and millions of homes. they are also the cameras the US government just banned as a national security risk. the ban covers new imports. the cameras already installed are still running. Iranian-linked attackers targeted Hikvision and Dahua cameras across Israel and the Gulf in March 2026, timed to coincide with missile strikes. real-time reconnaissance. damage assessment. target selection. using cameras installed to provide security. What to do: — change default credentials the moment you set the system up. — never use port forwarding for remote access. use a VPN instead. — keep NVR and camera firmware updated. — disable UPnP on your router. — put cameras on a separate VLAN from your laptops and phones. — if you have Hikvision or Dahua equipment: check firmware versions against known CVEs regularly.