OTT App Security for Media and Entertainment
The advent of digital streaming media through over-the-top (OTT) apps has led to a dramatic increase in piracy, which is putting the spotlight on OTT app security.
Content creators and distributors lose significant revenue when people access their content illegally, leading to a decline in the quality and quantity of available content as well as job losses in the industry. Piracy also threatens the security of consumer data.
Zimperium helps streaming app providers address piracy by implementing comprehensive security measures across the content distribution pipeline.
As of March 2022, over 60 percent of the digital video content audience in the United States was reported to watch videos on their smartphones, compared to 56 percent of respondents who said the same about watching video on a smart TV — a more established device for online video consumption.
What’s at Risk for Mobile Streaming Apps?
Zimperium helps streaming app providers address piracy by implementing comprehensive security measures across the content distribution pipeline.
Content Piracy
Stolen Customer Data
Poor In-App Experience
High Security Costs
Media Firm Strengthens Content Key Security Across Its Multi-Platform Distribution Network
Learn how a major media firm leveraged Zimperium’s zKeyBox and zShield solutions to significantly bolster its security infrastructure and proactively safeguard its diverse content delivery network against malicious attacks aimed at business disruption and data theft.
Secure Cryptographic Operations Across All Platforms
OTT apps have become a popular way to stream media content. They can be accessed on various streaming devices, including:
- Smart TVs
- Streaming sticks, including Amazon Fire Stick and Google Chromecast
- Set-top boxes (STBs), such as Apple TV and Roku
The number of customer devices in play allows for a wide range of streaming options. It also introduces OTT app security risk for streaming providers whose data and secrets are transmitted across a vast ecosystem of connected devices.
Zimperium provides OTT app providers with a scalable solution for securing operations across the entire install base
Secure cryptographic keys and operations across all streaming devices and operating systems
Keep customer PII (personally identifiable information) out of the hands of threat actors
Reduce the risk of intellectual property theft and revenue loss
When Hardware Security Modules Are Not Viable
Content delivery networks (CDNs) for streaming apps use various security measures, including hardware security modules (HSMs), to safeguard cryptographic keys and control what users can access based on their subscriptions. In their licensing agreements, the owners of a movie or TV show typically require streaming providers to store content-related keys in HSMs.
This presents a number of challenges:
- Costs can quickly escalate when tens of millions of devices rely on HSMs
- HSMs are computationally intensive and can cause latency for viewers
- Integrating HSMs into streaming systems can be a complex undertaking
By using white-box cryptography to secure keys within the application code, Zimperium zKeyBox provides a simple, scalable way to protect cryptographic keys from cyberattacks on customer mobile devices and STBs. Regardless of the hardware or operating system being used, keys will never appear in plaintext when stored, transmitted, or used by the app — even if a hacker gains full access to the device.
Keep costs down and improve the customer viewing experience
Ensure keys are not delivered to compromised or untrusted devices and apps
Reduce the risk of intellectual property (IP) theft and revenue loss
Secure Your Customers’ Experience Within the OTT App
The security posture of customer devices has significant OTT app security implications for streaming service providers.
If a customer device is vulnerable or compromised through vectors like credential theft, brute force attacks, credential stuffing, or fake apps, your app and critical backend systems are susceptible to data breaches.
Zimperium zShield, our application hardening solution, protects OTT apps from tampering in the store and abuse when running on the end user’s device. This helps streaming providers ensure the security of their users’ PII and prevent unauthorized access to their accounts.
Stop threat actors from reverse engineering your app to steal customer data
Eliminate bugs that can cause service interruptions
Build trust in your brand by making mobile security a priority
Zimperium’s Unified OTT App Security Solution
Zimperium’s Mobile Application Protection Suite (MAPS) helps companies across the media and entertainment supply chain safeguard their content and build secure mobile applications. With MAPS, you can identify vulnerabilities during development, reduce encryption costs, and improve the viewing experience.
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