This is the conclusion of a five-part series dedicated to helping streaming service providers understand where their security vulnerabilities exist and what security methods will best protect, and ultimately enhance, their businesses in the most cost-efficient manner. Revisit Parts I-IV here.

In Part IV of this series, we discussed how the key layers of security – Multi-DRM, Code Protection, Watermarking and Authentication – will strengthen any weak links in your overall security strategy. New threat attacks are emerging all the time and providers need to be proactive with their security strategy, as well as understand the need for ongoing maintenance.

The advantages of working with a security specialist typically outweigh the risks and costs of managing security in-house.

So what do you look for in a security partner? Here’s a checklist of considerations:

  • Do they offer a broad range of solutions so you can configure your security as needed?
    There is no one-size-fits-all security platform, especially as streaming services grow. A trusted security partner should have a comprehensive understanding of challenges across the video delivery workflow and a broad portfolio of solutions to match your evolving security needs.
  • Do they offer cloud-based experience and deployment options?
    Cloud capabilities enable you to meet traffic needs without human intervention, be assured all security is up-to-date more and be faster to market.
  • Do they offer SaaS and subscription-based pricing models?
    A pay-for-success model gives you the agility and flexibility to stay relevant in an ever-changing market and meet subscribers’ needs more successfully and quickly.
  • Do they offer important value-added components like analytics?
    Security is a natural data collection point in the flow of OTT video delivery. These insights can super-charge your business and provide concrete behavioral data to drive business decisions. This can include popularity of content, potential bundle and service offers, as well as an understanding about any potential service problems and security risks.
  • Do they have a broad partnership ecosystem based on standard integrations?
    There are multiple third-party integration points when delivering secure streaming video – within the head-ends, workflow content preparation, and operations management systems. A security solution should provide standards-based interfaces to enable rapid integration with other ecosystem components, and have a track record of doing so.

Final Thoughts

Piracy has morphed along-side digital delivery. Consumers will binge watch TV shows, follow live events, click on short clips, make content and interact in every conceivable way with your content. While some content has DRM requirements, this may be your first thought about security, but never your last one.

As new streaming services enter the market, protecting your hard won customer revenue is essential. Consumers want to go online to stream and pirates follow the money trail. Pirates are more than happy to take advantage of security holes found in media and entertainment properties to find the much needed content to run their businesses. Developing a solid security strategy is the only way to end piracy’s free ride on your business.