cisco2509_cs 25/09/2015 17:32 Page 1
Big Data, Big
Risks, Big
Security
TV and other services from the cloud
offer many advantages but the more
processes that are delivered via Data
Centres, the more their security
matters. Add in the risks created by the
increasingly unmanaged delivery chain
and end user devices, and you begin to
see the need for a new, more
comprehensive, approach to security.
he Cloud,
Virtualised
Workflow, Big Data,
TV Everywhere,
Unmanaged Devices,
Smart Homes, Internet of
Things; these are all
intrinsic parts of an ever
more converged ecosystem
that brings monetisation
opportunities to service
providers and capex and
opex saving opportunities
to their suppliers.
But, as usual, along with
Opportunities come Threats.
To create maximum benefit for
the provider and its consumers,
as many as possible of the
digital tools available need to
be in use; user data, personal
data, metadata, content data,
network data. Used well, these
tools mean great user
experience and commercial
opportunities including
targeting, personalisation and,
ultimately, a super Smart
Home.
T
16 ContentSecurity
“Adversaries are
exploiting the
growing attack
surface.”
controlled cars, and some of
the significant personal data
breaches from corporations
have become well known – and
done real damage to the
reputations of the companies
involved.
Television has generally run
ahead of the game in security;
it has handled a valuable
consumer product in digital
form for a long time and it has
learned how to protect it and
stay a step ahead of those
determined to steal it. But the
more all providing touch points
and, therefore, potential
security weaknesses. Today a
piece of content may well have
come through a digital
workflow at a remote supplier,
through consolidation with a
broadcaster, on to a third party
CMS and along the way have
been interfaced with all kinds
world has moved on from
content security only involving
protection from headend to set
top.
Content delivery is now a
complex industry with many
proprietary networks and IT
systems, Data Centres, Content
Management Systems, the
Cloud, virtual workflows and
of data and metadata. And
that’s before it is transported
over open networks and onto
unmanaged devices. The ‘attack
plane’ in cyber security terms is
long, wide and has many touch
points.
“Adversaries are exploiting
the growing attack surface
presented by new services,
Alongside delivery
optimisation, the Data Centre
is also now at the heart of the
supply side with converged
digital workflows bringing
together the management of
content from multiple sources
for processing and play out.
It’s all good
and could all
be referred to
as Cloud
Enabled. But it
might also be
called Cyber
Enabled and
the moment
that happens
you think
about the
security aspect
and the scale of
potential
vulnerability
opened up by a
Advanced Anti-Piracy
world of endto-end data.
Cisco’s VideoGuard and Streaming Piracy Prevention ‘Streaminator’ is one
Everyone has
of the frontline tools in Cisco’s Anti-Piracy armoury. Its job is to monitor
heard rumours
the Internet for unauthorised streams of a provider’s content. The
of malicious
Streaminator can latch on to multiple streams simultaneously and use
‘takeovers’
their forensic marking to diagnose and isolate the individual subscriber
when
account they are originating from. It can then send a message to the
manufacturers
source and/or switch it off. At the same time it will screen grab a frame
test cybershowing the Identifier for evidential purposes.