ChatGPT Video encryption technologies such as AES 128, HLS E, and DRM-enabled solutions like Google Widevine, Apple Fairplay, and Microsoft PlayReady are crucial for protecting video content from piracy. Muvi Flex offers secure video hosting and distribution with multi-DRM support, ensuring enterprise-grade security across multiple platforms. Continue reading
The video industry is booming and to prevent piracy, deploying the right video encryption technologies is a must. Video has immense potential in marketing, entertainment, education, and almost everywhere. This makes video one of the most significant types of content consumed online.
This immense consumption of video has also made video distribution platforms vulnerable to video piracy This mandates the deployment of video protection strategies to secure video streaming. In this blog, we are going to learn more about how you can protect your videos via video encryption technologies. However, first, let’s have a look at a few statistics that vouch for the immediate need to deploy the best video protection methodologies.
Video piracy puts a major dent in the economy of any country. The same is reflected in organizations harnessing the power of video for various purposes. Therefore it is necessary to understand how to protect videos from piracy. Amidst various methods used for video protection, let’s try to understand video encryption. It is one of the most sought-after and accepted methods. of ensuring that your content is safe online. Choosing the right video encryption technology is crucial for business.
Video encryption encodes your video content so that only authorized users can access it. The encoding software and algorithm apply decryption keys to do this. Video encryption ensures that the video does not reach the user already decrypted as it is much easier to copy or screen record. Specialized video players further decrypt the small encrypted fragments transferred.
This means that any other player cannot play such videos. Further, to decrypt it, a user has to have the right decryption method which is player-specific. This serves as a content protection mechanism and prevents unauthorized access. There are several ways to encrypt video which we will be discussing at a later stage in the blog.
Deploying video encryption means you can give specific access to your video libraries as required. It has numerous benefits like:
Piracy Protection
Video encryption ensures that attempts to copy content are minimized ensuring protection of intellectual property prevents its unauthorized usage.
Sensitive Information Protection
Organizations have sensitive information such as meetings and confidential process videos. For ease of access, such information has to be online. However, a data breach in the form of unauthorized access can amount to significant losses.
Controlled Access
Even within an organization, access can be subjective to clearance. Deploying video encryption means you can give specific access to your video libraries as required.
Better Revenues
By securing content, providers can explore various monetization strategies without fear of unauthorized distribution. This includes exclusive releases, premium content, and tiered subscription models.
Overall, video encryption is a crucial tool for safeguarding video content and ensuring compliance with legal requirements. It is also necessary to enhance the security and trustworthiness of video services.
Video encryption is indeed important for video protection and to further ensure secure video streaming. It has numerous advantages as we saw above but how many types of encryption methods are there? Here is a list of 6 video encryption methods and video security solutions widely accepted in the industry.
AES stands for Advanced Encryption Standard and 128 is the number of bits for key length. The same key encrypts and decrypts. Since it processes the encryption using a 128-bit length encryption key, it is practically immune to most brute-force attacks. It is a very popular means of encryption, commonly used to secure communication. Additionally, it is also used to manage data storage, handle financial transactions, offer DRM for videos, and much more.
AES 128 is often used as part of DRM software to control access to video content. Using cipher block chaining (CBC) or counter mode (CTR), AES 128 cannot guarantee complete security during streaming or transfer. Since encryption and the decryption key are the same, its retrieval is possible by experts, and thus content might get compromised. Hence it is used as a utility and is used as a part of other encryption technologies.
HLS as we all know is one of the most popular live-streaming protocols that is developed and managed by Apple. Since HLS is open-sourced, all types of browsers and players widely accept it. HLS is one of the best video encryption for live streaming. One of the best video encryption technologies, it is highly secure due to its HLEe AES 128 bit encryption.
Do note that HLS is therefore mainly used for live streaming of content. It refers to the encryption of such live streams that are often managed using a combination of AES 128 encryption technology. The system divides videos into smaller segments, particularly 10 seconds long, allowing for adaptive bitrate streaming. Additionally,
HLS deploys M3U8 playlist files that list URLs to these video segments. Of all the URLs, one of those directs towards the encryption key that is used to decrypt live streams.
In this way, the end user gets access to secured live streams and protected video content. However, just like AES 128, securely managing and distributing encryption keys is critical but can be challenging. If keys are not managed properly, it could lead to unauthorized access or loss of content security.
Both encryption methods discussed above are prone to attacks where the security of encryption keys is always at risk. Cyber attacks can often stream such keys and result in the downloading of the content. Various downloader software are easily able to download videos encrypted using these techniques and therefore these are never 100% secure.
To solve this problem, DRM or digital rights management software was introduced. Digital Rights Management (DRM) is a set of video encryption technologies and strategies used to control the access, usage, and distribution of digital content. It ensures that only authorized users can access digital media such as videos, music, e-books, and software.
DRM works via licensing which is the basic set of rules that are delivered to apps and browsers. Based on it, decryption works.
It has improved key management where decryption keys are securely managed and distributed based on dynamic user authentication and licensing conditions. There are 3 most popular DRM licensing tools developed by Google, Apple, and Microsoft. These are namely Widevine, FairPlay, and PlayReady.
These universally manage data protection for clients globally. Due to the vastness of its use, they are the most trusted and globally accepted ways to protect content.
Google developed and manages Google Widevine. This makes it one of the most sought-after video encryption methods. It provides content protection support across multiple web browsers, mobile devices, television sets, and more.
Google’s Widevine is globally compatible and is dominant across Google-developed devices and ecosystems. Google Widevine finds its presence globally and is a major inclusion in any reputed video streaming software or service.
It offers 3 different categories of security. Starting with L3, here decryption and processing happens inside the software outside of the hardware environment. This means its implementation does not require specific hardware. Next comes L2 and L1 which process information in a secured TTE layer within the device. Both of them are not software-only options and require the deployment of key hardware components.
Advantages of Google Widevine
WIdevine is indeed one of the most widely accepted video encryption methods However to utilize its full potential, it demands high processing power. Low-end smartphones do not support its best offering which is L1.
The software giant Apple developed Apple Fairplay. It is primarily used with Apple’s ecosystem of devices, web browsers, and other applications. Since Apple makes its hardware and software, Apple Fairplay is extremely optimized for Apple devices. Further, it also seamlessly integrates with the very famous Apple Ecosystem.
When a user purchases or rents FairPlay-protected content, they receive a license containing the decryption key and usage rules. This license is managed by Apple’s infrastructure. It supports both live as well as on-demand content.
Advantages of Apple Fairplay
Apple Fairplay is one of the most efficient content encryption and protection technology. However, it has platform restrictions as it is very difficult to deploy for any non-apple devices. Also implementing Apple’s DRM is very complex and requires stringent measures to be followed.
Microsoft PlayReady is a DRM solution offered by Microsoft for video content protection and safe distribution. It provides similar benefits to FairPlay and Widevine. Microsoft PlayReady offers a range of advanced features including Metering, Domains and Domain-based licenses, Breach Response, etc. PlayReady version 4 includes support for Common Encryption (CENC) based encryption. This uses either AES-CTR or AES-CBC encryption modes.
It supports devices such as the entire Windows ecosystem, Xbox and PlayStation, Android, iOS, Smart TVs, and more. If you are looking to broadcast your videos to Microsoft-owned devices, PlayReady can be a good option.
Have a lot of videos to store but concerned about its security online? Leave all your worries to Muvi Flex. It is the world’s best video hosting and sharing platform that lets you seamlessly host, embed, share, and manage your videos. Not to forget it does this by maintaining enterprise-grade security.
Built on Amazon CDN, Muvi Flex supports multiple video streaming formats on its fully customizable feature-rich online video player. What’s more? Now you can deploy VMAP ads onto the player and get yourself a separate source of revenue.
If DRM is your priority requirement, Muvi Flex comes with Multi-DRM support. It comprises Apple’s Fairplay, Microsoft’s PlayReady, and Google’s Widevine ensuring content protection on almost all ecosystems. It combines the best of video encryption technologies. Additionally, Muvi Flex gives you the best of unauthorized access prevention, encryption, and privacy protection for your videos.
That’s not all, FLex offers server-side security, SSL certificates, international compliances, and more to ensure the security of your videos. Muvi Flex is one of the best video storage and distribution channels. It offers a secure video streaming experience over devices spanning 16+ platforms.
You can avail a free 14-day trial to learn more.
Video encryption refers to the encoding of a video file before streaming it to the end user with specific keys and other technologies to ensure that unauthorized access is avoided and content is protected.
DRM or digital rights management is a consolidated set of tools that manages video encryption, its license management and secure exchange between the server and the end user. DRMs are deployed to protect data from unauthorized access.
Choosing the best encryption method depends on various factors, including the specific use case, the level of security required, and the resources available. Globally, DRMs provided by Google, Microsoft, and Apple are known to have the best encryption as they offer a complete package for data protection, delivery, and license management.
Written by: Shivashish
Shivashish works as a content writer at Muvi. He has worked in domains like e-commerce, employee engagement, sports and entertainment. A poet by heart, Shivashish believes in creating quality content that is rich in information and easy to understand.
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