20 BROADCASTASIA2017 SHOWDAILY 24 May 2017

BY STAN MOOTE

Cyberattacks by Industry

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With video delivery moving to Internet distribution and infrastructures migrating to IP , broadcast and media organisations are becoming increasingly concerned about the threat from cyberattacks ; protecting their business systems , data and media assets from hacking is now a top priority . A number of vendors across the BroadcastAsia2017 showfloor are also highlighting it .

Steve Reynolds , CTO of IABM Platinum member , Imagine Communications , explains why : “ Our full range of customers across origination , content creation , production and distribution are all worried about security because their platforms are now more open and better connected — which are huge operational advantages , but also bring security-related concerns .”

I am not writing commentary to scare you ; however , your whole organisation needs to be aware that cyberattacks are happening with increasing frequency . This is despite the fact that you may not hear about them often , because the reputational damage is highly embarrassing for companies . Attacks are a fact of life — we need to accept cybersecurity measures are important — every member of your staff needs to be on permanent alert .

Some notable recent cyberattacks directed at broadcast and media organisations have included : the hacking of three South Korean broadcasters in 2013 , which led to the infection of their computer networks and compromising of customer data ; the 2014 hacking of Sony Pictures Entertainment , reportedly compromising employee and customer data ; the 2015 temporary closure of French broadcaster TV5Monde ’ s network via multiple ingress points ; and the 2016 hacking of a number of US radio stations , resulting in unauthourised media going to air .

The broadcast and media industry is unique , but not when it comes to being a target for cyber-criminals . This is mainly due to its direct relationship to millions of viewers and listeners — and their personal data — making it increasingly attractive . According to the Verizon 2016 Data Breach Investigations Report , the entertainment industry suffered 38 cyberattacks with confirmed data loss in 2015 .

This report finds that the main motive behind cyber-attacks is financial — ransoming assets , for example , or obtaining customers ’ personal and financial data for criminal exploitation . However , many hacks of broadcast and media organisations are allegedly driven by ideology ; Sony Pictures and TV5Monde are two possible examples of this . Even a grudge or grievance can be the starting point for a highly damaging cyberattack .

Source : IABM Analysis of Verizon data

The entertainment industry suffered 38 cyberattacks with confirmed data loss in 2015 , according to the Verizon 2016 Data Breach Investigations Report .

Wherever the threat originates , and whatever the motivation , the industry is now taking the threat of cyberattack extremely seriously . A quick look at the potential cost of such an attack is one reason why . A 2015 survey by the Ponemon Institute across 58 benchmarked public and private sector organisations put the average cost to a company of an attack at US $ 15.4 million — ranging from $ 1.9 million to a staggering $ 65 million .

The cybersecurity options for endusers range from using in-house resources to relying on their cloud provider . It is perhaps counter-intuitive to use an outside resource , but cloud providers spend more than most individual organisations can afford on security — with hundreds of staff in some cases dedicated fulltime to ensuring the security of their clients ’ operations ; their businesses , after all , depend 100 % on preventing such problems .

This does not , however , mean that broadcasters and media organisations can just sit back and let a third party handle all their cybersecurity needs . A wellconsidered ‘ prevent and disaster ’ recovery plan needs to be developed . Our industry has become more like a media factory — driving , measuring and recording all processes via the back office — and this is the way in for cyber-criminals . Don ’ t leave the door open for them ; BroadcastAsia2017 is a great place to learn how to keep them out . ❑

Stan Moote has worked worldwide in the industry for more than three decades and is the CTO for IABM , International Association for Broadcast and Media Technology Suppliers . Stan has a clear understanding of technology combined with a solid business twist . You can see many of Stan ’ s articles at theIABM . org .