Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

How can broadcasters secure themselves against possible cyber attacks?

10/06/2021

Following the recent ransomware attack on one US media group, Quantums Eric Bassier explains why broadcasters are being targeted, and how they can safeguard themselves against such threats

By Jenny Priestley

Published: June 10, 2021

Following the recent ransomware attack on one US media group, Quantum's Eric Bassier explains why broadcasters are being targeted, and how they can safeguard themselves against such threats

target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin>

So far during 2021 two broadcasters have been hit by cyber attacks: Nine Network in Australia and Cox Media Group in the United States.

Of course, those are the two we know about. There could very possibly be others.

When a broadcaster is hit by a ransomware attack it can cause all kinds of disruption: newsrooms go offline, internal computer systems go down, streaming services can be impacted, and as broadcasters move towards a more IP-centric workflow a cyber attack could be devastating.

After the infamous Sony malware attack in 2014, when hackers released details of Sony Pictures' employee details, film scripts and even unreleased films, many broadcasters took note and increased their own internal firewalls.

So, why are broadcasters suddenly under attack, and why now? According to Eric Bassier, senior director, product marketing at Quantum, it's all about money. Broadcasters have found new ways to secure profits from their programmes, he tells TVBEurope. This includes new forms of PPVs, new DVR services, in-content shopping, and live large-scale events, which draw in more viewers and profits. With this influx of money, it's no wonder that cyber criminals are knocking at the door wanting a piece of the pie.

He cites major events such as the Super Bowl and UEFA Champions League as potential targets. With that many people involved in a project, spread across the globe and across different networks and systems, it's natural for threat actors to take advantage of a backdoor attack. It only takes one weak link for the protective chain to break, and by then they've gained root access to the network and can initiate a denial of service.

Public recognition is also a key motivation. Successfully penetrating a broadcaster's network is akin to gaining the keys to the public eye' and forcing your hand, continues Bassier. News, sports, popular TV shows these programmes draw in eyeballs, and there's no better negotiating tactic than laying out your cards in front of millions of others, who now may not be able to watch these shows live. This puts all the risk back onto the broadcaster, who now must contend with public/industry opinion, reduced credibility, damaged reputation, and loss of time and money.

So the question is, what can broadcasters do to secure themselves against such attacks? Bassier stresses the need to be proactive, not reactive. One way is through the tried tested backup rule of 3-2-1-1, which means: 3 copies of your data, 2 different media types, one offsite, and one offline. he explains. The third point is behavioural, and it starts at the top by re-setting policies to get back online. A modern technology solution should also provide data immutability' to protect and recover your assets in the case of a breach and secure your data with a multi-layer technology approach. Remember, a virus cannot bypass a physical barrier formed between your data and the network. It is and will continue to be the most cost-effective form of ransomware protection.

Bassier offers some practical tips to broadcasters or those working within a broadcasting system/network, on how they can take reduce the probability of a major shut down and the exfiltration of data:

Ensure data won't be compromised if a hack occurs

Look at your backup strategy holistically across your entire environment

Ensure you can recover; test, test, test your recovery method

As soon as data fulfils its value in fast disk, tier it off to a cold data solution

Think differently: Consider a multi-layer approach to protect and recover backups

Prevent a hack before it happens

Understand your risk profile and threat landscape

Identify network entry and exit points

Reduce the attack footprint/surface

Harden your systems (shut down the nice' to haves)

Disable services like RDP (gateways, ports)

Boost awareness of social engineering tactics and defences

Review your cyber-hygiene

Update software regularly

Backup regularly

Regular scan for vulnerabilities

Remediate your findings

US media group hit by ransomware attack

Australia's busiest newsroom abandoned due to suspected cyber attack

data-src=https://www.tvbeurope.com/wp-content/themes/tvbeurope/library/images/tvbe-subs.jpg width=729 height=90>
LINK: https://www.tvbeurope.com/business/how-can-broadcasters-secure-themsel...
See more stories from tvb

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

07/10/2026

Dalet Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Media Operations from Ingest to Distribution

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...

06/09/2026

Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Germany with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos

June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...

04/08/2026

Dalet Announces Commercial Availability of Dalia, Bringing Media-Aware Agentic AI to Enterprise Productions

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

22/07/2026

RTS Chooses Custom Consoles Desks and MediaWalls for Stud...

Custom Consoles announces the completion of a large technical furniture project for Radio T l vision Suisse (RTS) at the networks recently inaugurated productio...

22/07/2026

Graham Media's WDIV Opens Satellite Newsroom/Coffee Shop

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

22/07/2026

FCC Approves License Transfer of WTVQ-DT to Scripps

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

22/07/2026

Spectrum Reach Expands Operations in N.Y.

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

22/07/2026

Miris spatial streaming platform adds support for glTF in...

Culver City, CA, July 21, 2026 3D streaming infrastructure provider Miris today announced glTF intake, including the binary .glb form, to its spatial streamin...

22/07/2026

Documentary Lo Invisible Captured with Blackmagic PYXIS 6K

Documentary Lo Invisible Captured with Blackmagic PYXIS 6K Brie Clayton July 21, 2026 0 Comments Camera's versatile design allowed filmmakers to c...

22/07/2026

AAF Bridge converts AAF and XML Timelines to Ableton Live - and back

AAF Bridge converts AAF and XML Timelines to Ableton Live - and back Jerome Gardier July 21, 2026 0 Comments A two-way converter for macOS and Windows...

22/07/2026

From Class to Concert: Explore a Student-Led Production of David Bowies Work Through Photos

From Class to Concert: Explore a Student-Led Production of David Bowies Work Thr...

22/07/2026

Documentary on film censorship in Ireland coming to RT

In the Opinion of the Censor airs Monday 27 July at 9.35pm on RT One and RT Player In the Opinion of the Censor looks at how films for theatrical release wer...

22/07/2026

NVIDIA Open Sources First GPU-Accelerated Medical Physics Simulation Framework

Before a healthcare robot can be useful in the real world, it has to learn how the physical world pushes back. Anatomy varies. Instruments bend, press, slip and...

21/07/2026

High Interest, limited resources: AI in Mongolia's newsrooms

New research involving a cross-section of Mongolias independent media landscape finds enthusiasm for AI as a tool to improve efficiency, sustainability and resi...

21/07/2026

FIFA World Cup 2026: The Firsts, Breakthroughs, and Lasting Legacies

With winners Spain having already paraded the World Cup trophy through Madrid in front of millions of fans and the dust now settling on an epic tournament of th...

21/07/2026

NHL Launches Centralized Production Operation for Regional Broadcasts; Four Teams Aboard To Start

In a time of disarray in regional sports broadcasting, the league will provide c...

21/07/2026

With Boland Monitors, NEPs PGA TOUR Unit Ready for Future

When NEP designed one of its largest recurring mobile production unit fleets for PGA TOUR coverage, the leading media services provider faced a familiar challe...

21/07/2026

elysia Channex Studio now available

High-end analogue channel strip boasts plug-in recall Originally revealed as a prototype back at NAMM 2024, the Channex Studio channel strip represented a b...

21/07/2026

Musik Hack announce HyFi mastering platform

Relies on same DSP as plug-in range Musik Hack's line-up has been influenced heavily by founder Stan Greene's work as a mixing engineer, and their M...

21/07/2026

Dirty Boy Jr. Series from Warm Audio

Official collaboration with boutique builder Dirty Boy Pedals Warm Audio have just announced the launch of a new guitar pedal range created in collaboration...

21/07/2026

SBS scores biggest ever FIFA World Cup Reach as Spain triumph in the final

SBS scores biggest ever FIFA World Cup Reach as Spain triumph in the final 21 July, 2026 Media releases Spain v Argentina attracted a Total TV reach of al...

21/07/2026

Rohde & Schwarz showcases broad range of EMC test solutions at EMC+SIPI 2026 in Dallas, Texas

Rohde & Schwarz showcases broad range of EMC test solutions at EMC SIPI 2026 in ...

21/07/2026

TVP Claims Top Spot as the World Cup and the Opole Music Festival Drive June Viewership in Poland

Warner Bros. Discovery's unbroken lead is interrupted as sports and live mus...

21/07/2026

Savannah Bananas Tap Calrec to Expand Banana Ball TV Coverage

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

21/07/2026

Where Growth Takes Root Viaccess-Orca Showcases the Found...

Across the TV and streaming ecosystem, industry players face mounting pressure to do more with less. They must simplify operations, protect premium content and ...

21/07/2026

Tuxera breaks performance ceilings and brings SMB/NFS mul...

Tuxera, a leading prover of quality-assured file systems and networking technologies, is bringing its latest advances in connectivity performance to the media w...

21/07/2026

COW Jobs: Apple Motion Expert for Custom FCP Rigged Graphics Package

COW Jobs: Apple Motion Expert for Custom FCP Rigged Graphics Package Brie Clayton July 21, 2026 0 Comments HIRING: Apple Motion Expert for Custom FCP ...

21/07/2026

Cinegy directly addresses the real issues of software-def...

Cinegy GmbH, the premier provider of software-defined television technology, will use its presence at IBC2026 (stand 7.A01, Amsterdam RAI, 11 14 September) to...

21/07/2026

Calrec brings leading audio solutions and long term busin...

Calrec will be located in Hall 8, on Stand C47 Beyond bigger For years, broadcast facilities were built around one assumption: provision for the biggest pro...

21/07/2026

Pebble takes the next step towards the future of media de...

Pebble, the leading automation, content management and integrated channel specialist, will discuss its future-facing developments for the new generation of medi...

21/07/2026

nxtedition Brings Production, AI and Automation Together...

nxtedition returns to IBC2026 with its consolidated production platform, showing how scripting, editing, graphics, AI-assisted tools and automation can work wit...

21/07/2026

Big Blue Marble brings C2PA Content Credentials to Cloud...

C2PA content signing helps broadcasters, public institutions, and publishers give audiences a verifiable record of where their video content came from and how i...

21/07/2026

HDHomeRun Enables Operation During Internet Outages

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

21/07/2026

Calif. Federal Judge Pauses Paramount-WBD Merger

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

21/07/2026

AWARN Rebuts Weigel Claims of 3.0 EAS Problems

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

21/07/2026

FCC Announces Tentative Agenda for August Open Meeting

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

21/07/2026

VIDA Introduces QC Manager for Collaborative Quality Cont...

New capability centralizes collaboration, feedback, security and status tracking within VIDA, providing a structured, auditable approach to master quality contr...

21/07/2026

Lightcraft Launches Exclusive Spark Story Beta for Filmmakers and Creators at SIGGRAPH 2026

Lightcraft Launches Exclusive Spark Story Beta for Filmmakers and Creators at SI...

21/07/2026

Indie Road Movie Where in the Hell Shot with Pocket Cinema Camera 4K

Indie Road Movie Where in the Hell Shot with Pocket Cinema Camera 4K Brie Clayton July 20, 2026 0 Comments Colorist blends vintage film looks to shape...

21/07/2026

Which USS Defiant Pulse Phaser effect is better?

Which USS Defiant Pulse Phaser effect is better? Graham Quince July 20, 2026 0 Comments Aargh, ever since @DarkRavenProductions posted a comment ask...

21/07/2026

Built in Fort Worth: Wistron Opens Advanced Manufacturing Plant to Produce NVIDIA AI Systems

The AI era runs on AI infrastructure. Many of these advanced systems are built a...

21/07/2026

X-Rite Pantone and NIFT Partner to Build Color Management Skills for India's Fashion and Textile Workforce

X-Rite Pantone and NIFT Partner to Build Color Management Skills for India's...

21/07/2026

Bluepeak Taps Harmonic to Speed Up Fiber Rollout and Expand into MDUs

Harmonics cOS Virtualized Broadband Platform and Pearl Remote OLTs Enable Flexible PON Migration, While SeaStar Optical Node Powers Cost-Effective Multi-Gigabit...

21/07/2026

From Lens to Pixel: Why Connected Workflows Are the Future of Live Venue Production

Every live event starts with a defining moment. A camera captures the game-winni...

21/07/2026

Built for Vera Rubin, NVIDIA Spectrum-6 Arrives in Gigascale AI Factories

AI has entered the gigascale era. The world's most advanced AI factories are bringing together hundreds of thousands of GPUs and CPUs to train frontier mod...

21/07/2026

NVIDIA Vera Rubin Driving Performance Per Watt, Lowest Token Cost for Partners Worldwide

NVIDIA Vera Rubin is here, and it's going gigascale. Vera Rubin NVL72 produ...

21/07/2026

RT announces biggest ever year for new drama

160 hours of Irish storytelling for 2026 KIN and The Walsh Sisters return RT has today unveiled its most ambitious drama slate ever, with a record-breakin...

20/07/2026

SVG All-Stars: Rob Coons, Senior Director, StudentU, Big Ten Network

The former Northwestern broadcast-operations leader is helping train the next generation of live-sports-production talent across the Big Ten The sports-product...

20/07/2026

Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Stacey Lee, the Filmmaker Behind Murder 101

By Lucy Spicer One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival is having a front-row seat for the bright future of independent filmmaking. Whi...