Protecting Online Media In a Growing Threat Landscape

Television companies are a prime target for cybercriminals because of their valuable content, sensitive data, and large audiences. Threats include DDoS attacks, credential theft, and piracy, and are often motivated by financial interests or political goals. This report examines the current threat landscape in the streaming media industry and suggests steps to help protect against cybercriminals.

The industry is under attack from all sides

TV companies have been vulnerable to cyber threats for many years due to their valuable content and large financial resources. They handle a lot of sensitive data: user information, payment data and content rights. This makes them an attractive target for hackers who want to steal, blackmail or sell this data.

Cybercriminals are also trying to disrupt TV companies through DDoS attacks, which can lead to significant losses during important events. Such disruptions damage reputations and undermine viewer confidence. In addition, they often face attacks on user accounts, which allows hackers to gain unauthorised access.

Live news broadcasts are also being targeted by cyberattacks aimed at silencing or disrupting their operations. These attacks can be carried out by both state actors and hacktivists with political aims. As the role of the media in society grows, it becomes an even more attractive target for criminals.

Film premieres and live broadcasts are particularly popular among pirates. Streaming platforms constantly face security issues.

This shows that the streaming industry needs strong protection to preserve data, reputation and reliable infrastructure.

The rise of online attacks

Fastly’s latest Threat Insights report found that 91% of cyber threats, up from 69% in 2023, targeted multiple customers simultaneously, using bulk scanning techniques to identify and exploit software vulnerabilities.

The media and entertainment industry is the second most attacked sector (21%), behind only the high-tech sector. This is because a successful hack in the tech industry can affect a large number of customers at the same time. The data also showed that hackers are no longer limited to one company – 19% of attacks targeted more than 100 customers at the same time!

How a CDN can help

A CDN (content delivery network) helps protect against online attacks, especially DDoS attacks. It acts as a shield between the main server and the threats, distributing malicious traffic through its servers around the world. This reduces the load on the main server and helps to avoid a crash, allowing users to access the site without interruption.

A CDN also protects against attacks on web applications. It can integrate a WAF (web application firewall) that inspects requests and blocks malicious traffic before it reaches the main server. This helps to avoid threats such as SQL injection and XSS scripting, and reduces the risk of automated attacks such as password theft.

In addition, some WAFs have built-in bot management systems that distinguish legitimate users from malicious bots, reducing the risk of credential spoofing and other automated threats.

By using a CDN, organisations can make their web applications more reliable and faster, while ensuring a high level of online security.

Practical case Forensic Watermarking

Forensic watermarking is an innovative method that allows you to embed invisible markers in digital content (video, audio, images). Such markers help content owners track unauthorised distribution and identify the source of a pirated copy. Unlike conventional watermarks, these markers remain invisible to users and are resistant to changes such as transcoding, cropping or compression of files.

The technology works by embedding unique data that can be linked to specific users or distribution channels. If a pirated version of the content is detected, this data can be extracted and analysed to identify the source of the leak. This allows owners to take legal action and improve the protection of their content.

Although still in its infancy, this technology is already being actively deployed to protect valuable content, especially during premieres or important releases when the risk of piracy is particularly high. Watermarking can be used in both video streaming and on-demand services, integrating with monitoring systems to quickly detect leaks. This approach is a powerful tool in the fight against piracy and allows for the prosecution of those responsible.

Rethinking the approach to security

Traditional methods like firewalls and encryption are still important, but modern strategies require flexible solutions that can respond to threats in real time. It’s important that security systems don’t slow down websites and prevent users from having uninterrupted access to content.

Next-generation WAFs use machine learning and behavioural analysis to detect threats without interfering with real users. This allows streaming platforms to maintain reliability and security without sacrificing performance.

Investing in such measures not only prevents attacks, but also protects the brand, maintains audience trust, and ensures stable operation of the service.

Want to see how it works in practice? Order a demo version Fastly CDN and protect your online media from intruders!