By: Paul O’Donovan, Head of Market Development
During a recent conference of the Financial Times, Tom Burrows, head of Global Rights at DAZN, shared the following:
«Media-rights deals have been done on the basis of exclusivity, but I think there’s almost an argument to say you can’t get exclusive rights anymore because piracy is so bad.»
His comment refers to the explosive growth of piracy as a consequence of the rapid shift of premium content, particularly sports, to streaming. The shift to streaming is rapid and will continue to accelerate. Recently, NBC shared that during the Paris Olympics they streamed a total of 391 million hours of content, which was up 40% from all the previous Olympic Summer and Winter events combined.
The popularity of streaming has brought on a myriad of new threats, from straightforward URL sharing to sophisticated license decryption and network vulnerabilities. Below, I explore some of the key security challenges in modern streaming and how MediaKind’s MK.IO Platform’s robust, integrated approach overcomes them.
Strengthening digital rights management (DRM)
One of the first lines of defence is digital rights management (DRM). Different devices use different DRM technologies. Some are notoriously easier to hack than others and pirates exploit those weaker ones with open-source tools to extract decryption keys.
MK.IO uses a range of “Hollywood-approved” DRM solutions.
To overcome this challenge MK.IO uses a range of “Hollywood-approved” DRM solutions for the ladder of streams prioritizing the popular and higher quality streams, and in addition also encrypts the entire license flow, adding another layer of security to the process.
Preventing unauthorized playback with token-based authentication
However, encrypting the content isn’t nearly enough. Attackers can capture a valid playback URL from developer tools and share it widely. That’s where entitlement checks come in.
Utilizing token-based authentication at multiple checkpoints significantly improves the prevention of unauthorized playback. MK.IO deploys this model at multiple checkpoints:
- Prior to playback, the user’s concurrency limits, geography, and subscription package are verified.
- Further validation is executed prior to granting a decryption license and throughout the event, if multiple devices attempt to use the same token simultaneously, the system blocks those attempts.
Traffic and threat monitoring
MK.IO utilizes a highly scalable protection layer.
Another area of focus is the access layer itself. MK.IO utilizes a highly scalable protection layer that scrutinizes incoming requests for anomalies, like multiple concurrent logins or unexpectedly high request rates.
When pirates share tokens or license keys at scale, the system identifies the behavior and blocks the requests, preventing large-scale theft.
Scalable architecture and multi-CDN strategy
The entitlement security, multi-DRM, token authentication, and access layer security mechanism are all powered by a highly scalable cloud-based and multi-CDN architecture.
During peak sporting events, millions of users log in within minutes. MK.IO has been designed and deployed to ensure delivery of millions of streams while enforcing high level security measures that do not impair the user experience.
Protecting content, brand, and trust
In summary, the MK.IO integrated approach doesn’t just protect content—it safeguards the brand’s reputation, keeps viewers satisfied, and maintains the trust that is critical for a thriving streaming business in today’s rapidly evolving market.
