Preserving the Magic: Why Secure Video Streaming is Essential for Film and TV

Preserving the Magic: Why Secure Video Streaming is Essential for Film and TV

In the current age of content consumption, viewers have turned to streaming over physical media at an overwhelmingly high rate. With a viewing device – a smartphone -- in their pocket almost all the time, consumers have access to their favorite content whenever, with one tap. As a result, the need for heightened security for video streaming has become increasingly critical to ensure that the rights of intellectual properties and their creators are protected, while also delivering a safe experience for viewers.

To address security concerns, streaming services utilize advanced technology, including encryption and Content Delivery Networks (CDNs), to ensure both content and consumer share a safe experience. And with the influx of live streaming across sporting events, concerts, news programs, and more, streaming platforms have needed to address the unique security needs for this type of content as well.

Security and Content Streaming

Video streaming platforms take multiple measures to protect content across all stages of its lifecycle, from storage to distribution and beyond. Encrypting video files ensures they are safeguarded against breaches or theft, CDNs add to this protection by distributing the content across multiple, geographically dispersed servers, making it harder for attackers to target a single source of data, and finally, access control ensures that only authorized personnel can upload, modify, or delete content.

The Benefits of Encryption 

Encryption is a critical component of providing a safe content streaming experience, protecting data by converting it into a code during transmission, which then can only to be decoded by devices with the corresponding key. In the case of the media and entertainment industry, encryption helps combat piracy by ensuring that only paying viewers can access the content. It also protects sensitive data related to viewer preferences, viewing habits, and demographics, which is highly desirable in market research.

The major streaming companies use powerful encryption technology to ensure that their streaming content is only accessible to their subscribers. This not only secures their revenue and protects the content from being copied or duplicated, but it also builds trust with their clientele.‍

 A Safer and Broader Reach with CDNs

CDNs are the true workhorses of content streaming by enhancing protection by distributing content files across multiple, geographically dispersed servers, making it difficult for hackers to target a single source of data. Additionally, a video CDN helps deliver content to viewers around the world, minimizes latency and buffering time, and ensures that the stream's origin server is not bogged down with too many coinciding requests.

Security for Live Video Streaming 

Live video streaming presents unique security challenges because unlike pre-recorded content, live streams are broadcast in real-time, creating a higher margin of error and security risk.

Live streams typically use Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) encryption, which is the same high-level security used by governments. Many streaming platforms even employ real-time monitoring to quickly identify and resolve any security breaches during a broadcast. 

Trust Sohonet as Your Partner in Secure Streaming

Taking extra precaution with these various security measures both protects the IP and provides a secure and fun viewing experience for subscribers. As the industry and technology continues to evolve, security for streaming will continue to develop and be an essential part of the content production and distribution chain.

‍

Learn how Sohonet is enabling our streaming partners provide the most secure viewing experience…

‍

Explore the service offerings from Sohonet such as ClearView Rush, our dailies editing software or our managed firewall services among others. Contact us for more information!

‍