Veset – Is Content Less Secure When Using Cloud for Playout?

Martins Magone, CTO, Veset

Whether operating traditional hardware-based playout or cloud playout, broadcasters need systems that are efficient, flexible, and secure. While cloud playout delivers a number of proven benefits over traditional hardware-based systems, such as improved flexibility and scalability, many broadcasters remain nervous about the security of data and systems running in the cloud. Is this apprehension a reflection of a genuine security risk, or more the result of a natural human reaction to new and different ways of doing things? Are the benefits of using the cloud for playout outweighed by the risks of content being lost, stolen or held hostage by ransomware?

Instinctive Resistance and Understanding Misconceptions

Put simply, humans are wired to distrust new, different, or unfamiliar things. This is a deeply ingrained psychological and evolutionary mechanism designed to protect us from potential threats. This dates to evolutionary survival instinct when our ancestors learnt that caution around the unknown, whether new environments, foods, or unfamiliar people or tribes was essential for survival. This instinct still plays out today, making many of us reluctant to change or adopt new ways of doing things.

This trait of human nature is likely contributing to the reluctance that many in the industry feel about moving workflows to the cloud because after all, it is an entirely new way of working. Aside from this mistrust of new approaches and fear of change, the perceived loss of control that comes with cloud working also adds to the disbelief that data can be secure in the cloud.

Broadcasters have always operated under an ownership model where they have directly controlled their physical hardware and facilities, alongside all associated assets produced. With data potentially stored in virtual data centers across multiple locations rather than in an on-prem server, this leads to a sense of loss of control, as well concerns around data sovereignty. A pretty hefty chunk of the anxiety around security in the cloud comes from this fear of losing control of data and infrastructure.

There’s a misconception that having total control means that data security can be maintained. When in actual fact, no matter where data is held, whether on-prem or in the cloud, it’s only ever as secure as systems and processes allow it to be. Without the right security measures, data held on-prem can be compromised, just as data in the cloud can be.

 Cloud Security Concerns

 There are of course various security issues that need to be considered when running workflows in the cloud, from data breaches, unauthorized access, misconfiguration errors, cyberattacks, denial of service attacks and ransomware, to poor network security, and weak or a lack of data encryption.

While some data breaches are as a result of malicious attacks, a common cause of data breaches is human error; for example, an employee may accidently make a data bucket public or share with unauthorized individuals. Similarly human error can also cause misconfiguration errors that could leave potential access points open to cyberattacks.

Data is a valuable commodity, and criminals are continuously evolving their strategies to evade security measures in order to carry out malicious actions. This may take the form of cyberattacks where the intention is to steal, destroy or change data, denial of service attack where a service is disrupted, or a ransomware attack where data or systems are locked until a specified payment is made.

Network and application security is another concern, with potential issues resulting because firewalls are inadequate or because unsecure APIs are being used. Poor network security creates vulnerabilities that give groups or individuals with malicious intent a route in.

Data needs to be kept secure both while sitting in a cloud storage and while in transit from one place to another, so needs to be adequately encrypted to prevent it from being readable should an unauthorized party manage to access or intercept the data.

Using the Cloud Securely

 While the concerns just outlined may seem unnerving, what’s important to remember is that cloud providers offer a level of security that’s hard to match on-prem or in private infrastructures. Cloud providers offer comprehensive, multi-layered security that’s built to protect highly sensitive data and ensure compliance with strict regulations, as required by sectors such as the financial industry and defense.

Typical security features built into cloud provision include access control and user authentication to validate users and prevent unauthorized access, network protection to provide foundational infrastructure security and DDoS protection, continuous monitoring to detect and mitigate threats, and robust encryption to ensure that in the event unauthorized and malicious actors inadvertently gain access, data remains unreadable and essentially worthless.

Additionally, some responsibility still falls on broadcasters who must ensure: systems and infrastructure, such as access controls and storage buckets, are configured properly; staff are properly trained; applications APIs are secure; and regular reviews are carried out to verify security measures are adequate and are being enforced.

While it’s reasonable to ask whether the cloud is secure, a more useful question may be how it can be used securely. Together, these security measures ensure that data remains secure whether it’s held in cloud storage, being transported via a cloud transport service, or distributed using a cloud-based CDN. Much like on-prem, maintaining security in the cloud is really just a question of having the right security measures and controls in place.

Ultimately, using the cloud for playout doesn’t weaken content security, if anything, it strengthens it. It does however change the operational model and this will take time for broadcasters to adjust to. Broadcasters that treat security as an ongoing discipline, rather than as an end destination or infrastructure choice, will find the cloud can strengthen security as much as it does flexibility and scalability.