Next generation video security: laying the foundations for transformation

Intelligent, threat-centric security gives businesses the confidence to create new, flexible video services

To understand the importance of video security, we only need to take a look at the amount of revenue lost through unauthorised access to content each year.

A report commissioned by the Motion Picture Association of America estimated the cost of piracy to the worldwide motion picture industry in 2005 at $18.2 billion. And in 2015, the analysts Parks Associates predicted that credential sharing for over the top video services would cost the industry $500 million in direct revenues worldwide that year

And protecting content is not getting any easier. Moving to the cloud opens up new potential attack routes for hackers. And the trend for people to use an increasing number of devices to watch video makes digital rights management (DRM) ever more complicated. We need a new approach that allows businesses to protect their revenue while providing cloud-based, multi-screen services.

Intelligent, multi-screen security

Cisco’s video security solutions are designed to help service providers tackle these new challenges, and make sure that others can’t profit from their content illegally.

Our Infinite Video Platform includes VideoGuard Everywhere, a unified, cloud-based platform that enables service providers to securely manage access to content across devices. VideoGuard Everywhere makes it easier than ever to distribute video to any screen. It provides a level of protection well beyond traditional conditional access and DRM approaches.

Our intelligent, threat-centric video security solutions bring together the best tools and technologies into a comprehensive suite. They enable service providers to monitor, identify, and disable unauthorised content redistribution. And we’re continually enhancing what we offer, based on the latest research and innovations.

Supporting new business models

Of course, security isn’t just about combating piracy. It’s just as important to secure your customers’ personal information, and your own infrastructure. Our technology can also help service providers keep control of their data and infrastructure as they move from managed pipelines to open cloud networks.

By protecting service providers’ infrastructure and data from cyber attacks, we give them the confidence to develop new, flexible service models. And by allowing them to meet studios’ demanding security requirements for supplying ultra high definition 4K video, we enable them to deliver the best possible content mix.

A seamless future

One service provider that has benefited from Cisco’s security technology is Sky, which uses VideoGuard Everywhere to support its new premium Sky Q service. Sky Q allows customers to watch video on up to five screens simultaneously while recording four other channels, and switch seamlessly between different screens.

The service gives customers more freedom in how they watch video. They can pause a programme on one screen and carry on watching on a different device. They can watch shows – whether live, recorded or on-demand – anywhere around the home. And they can take their recordings with them when they’re out and about using a tablet or phone.

“Sky Q will reinvent how our customers watch TV, allowing them to access their favorite shows across multiple screens, in and out of the home,” says Andrew Olson, director of new products, Sky.

The confidence to innovate

Sky Q gives us a taste of the kind of new service that a more sophisticated approach to security makes possible. And as online video continues to grow, we are sure to see many more exciting developments.

There will be plenty of opportunities for service providers in this new world. But to make the most of them, they will need to be sure that their systems are properly protected. With Cisco’s video security solutions, businesses can have the confidence to forge ahead with the innovations of the future.

Find out more about how an intelligent approach to security can underpin your IP video transformation. Get more resources here: