Outlook: Improved content security is critical to businesses
Terri Davies
Issue: November/December 2023

Outlook: Improved content security is critical to businesses

While AI can play a beneficial role in cyber security, cybercriminals have significantly harnessed the power of AI. One growing trend is AI-powered phishing, which is creating convincing and sophisticated phishing attacks. The number of cyber-attacks in the media & entertainment industry is increasing at an alarming rate, and content is vulnerable at every stage of the workflow. Whether it’s pre-production, production, post production or distribution, content security must be budgeted, planned and executed upfront, and not as an afterthought.

New business models are shaping our industry ecosystem and we’re constantly adapting to continuous change, whether it be machine learning, generative AI or other trending technologies. Improving content  security is critical to businesses, and it’s increasingly being led from the board level. Chief information security officers are now becoming critical protectors within a company, helping to develop strategies that mitigate and generate an understanding of risk. Traditional competencies in cyber security remain essential, but what was once considered soft skills, such as collaboration, adaptability, agility, critical thinking and problem-solving, have now become hard skills and play an equally important role in today’s content security toolbox. 

It’s also crucial that companies pay attention to and understand their Shared Security Responsibility Models (SSRMs) and/or associated Service Level Agreements (SLAs). Defining responsibilities will help reduce risk and enable companies to take swift action if needed. SLAs should evolve at the same pace as the business, and incorporate security and compliance with practical tips and guidance, helping protect organizations from risk. 

Terri Davies is the President of the Trusted Partner Network (www.ttpn.org), an organization that’s wholly owned by the Motion Picture Association (MPA) and committed to raising content security awareness and standards. TPN helps companies identify vulnerabilities, increase security capabilities and efficiently communicate security status to customers.