Why security is the key to media production and broadcast innovation?

Media broadcasters are increasingly using network technology to offer cloud-based, multiscreen services. An integrated approach to security is essential if they are to make the most of this opportunity

It’s an exciting time in the broadcast media industry.

Film production is growing fast. Creative artists are linking together through powerful networks across multiple studios. Making it easier to shoot, produce, edit, and deliver video.

Production companies can then use cloud and over-the-top (OTT) technologies to deliver this content directly to viewers, on virtually any device.

Viewing habits are changing, too. People are consuming more content online, on a growing number of different devices, whether they’re at home or out and about. They want to be able to catch up on programmes that they’ve missed in the past weeks and months. To pause a show at home and restart watching it on their phone, in the same place, the next day. And to stream major events like sports matches, wherever they are.

Increased security risk

These changes bring boundless business opportunities. But linking film production with entertainment delivery also presents big security challenges.

Video content and your viewers’ personal data are now stored together inside your media data centres. The boundaries that used to exist around data are disappearing – making it easier for hackers to get hold of your content, adapt it and distribute it.

Attacks are increasing in sophistication. And it’s getting harder for media providers to identify and stop them before they impact their business. Today, it typically takes organisations between 100 to 200 days to discover that an attack has taken place.

Sometimes hackers can bring down a whole business. In 2015, the French TV network TVMonde5 was taken offline for approximately 20 hours  by hackers that took control of 12 live broadcast channels and displayed malicious content. The attackers used seven different points of entry, and targeted hardware that was connected to the internet with malicious software. TVMonde5’s director-general Yves Bigot said that he had “absolutely no idea” why it had been targeted.

The group of Russian hackers thought to have carried out this attack were also thwarted in their plans to attack UK broadcasters in the run up to the country’s general election in 2015.

Fight back with an integrated, threat-centric approach

In this tough environment, media companies need to rethink their security across the entire content delivery chain. They need a holistic approach that enables greater visibility and enforcement.

This is where Cisco can help. Why? Because firstly, we’ve invested in the best security products we can find. And secondly, we know how to combine them into a comprehensive security system that works for you.

Our best of breed, architectural approach enables media providers to deploy multi-layered security to protect your media data centre and production environment. So you can ensure that your content, services, and business are protected from advanced threats across the attack continuum: before, during and after an attack.

And thanks to Talos, our industry-leading global research team of security experts, we’re constantly updating these with the latest threat intelligence, to make sure they’re working as hard as they can to protect you.

An Olympian achievement

Supported by Cisco, NBC Olympics streamed billions of minutes of content from the Rio Olympics last year to an audience demanding the agility of modern video delivery services.

NBC deployed Cisco Media Blueprint with premium network protection to ensure their on-line staff, content and live feeds that were sent from Rio remained unaffected by cyber attacks. The technology included Cisco ASA Firewall with Virtual Private Network services (VPN), Firepower Next-Generation Intrusion Prevention (NGIPS) and Advanced Malware Protection (AMP) with Stealthwatch network flow analysis.

It’s important to invest in world class technology like this. But it’s also essential to make sure that it’s all working together to keep your business resilient against a wide range of threats.

With Cisco, you can do both. We’ll help you create an integrated, best of breed architecture that reduces complexity, to help you manage security effectively and efficiently – before, during and after an attack.

Find out more about how Cisco’s cybersecurity solutions can enable the media production and broadcasting services of the future.