How to Secure Video Streaming Against Cyberattacks

Digital threats are on the rise, with cyberattacks becoming more frequent every year. If video streaming platforms intend to protect themselves and their users, they must leverage proven strategies and adopt robust security policies.

Common Cyberattacks Targeting Video Streaming Platforms

Video streaming platforms are particularly vulnerable to service interruptions. Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks are one of the primary examples. While they typically lasted a mere 30 minutes in 2021, their duration increased to over 50 hours on average by 2022.

Ransomware attacks are another significant cyberattack targeting video streaming. If platforms refuse to pay the ransom, they remain locked out of their content and administrative systems, meaning it often leads to a financial hit either way.

Credential-based attacks aren’t unique to video streaming but often target a platform’s users. Threat actors can leverage social engineering techniques or phishing attempts to trick people into handing over their account information.

If threat actors use a brute-force or credential-based attack to get into a user’s account, they can change the passwords and take it over. This action gives them access to potentially private content. More importantly, it enables them to strengthen their strategies.

Once threat actors have users’ account details, they typically give them to the highest-paying bidder. One director of security technology and strategy revealed they had discovered an individual selling 1 million stolen credentials to over 100,000 others. This action opens up companies to dozens — potentially thousands — of additional cyberattacks.

Threat actors also often use stolen accounts to message, comment or post malicious links. These malware attacks can heavily impact a streaming platform’s user base and put them at risk for further tampering.

The Impact of Cyberattacks on Video Streaming Platforms

As the threat landscape evolves, more streaming platforms need help to maintain an adequate cybersecurity posture. In fact, the number of organizations that meet the minimum standards for cyber resilience decreased by around 30% from 2023 to 2024. Many conventional defense methods aren’t as effective.

Streaming enterprises are continuously increasing in popularity. In fact, video accounts for over 80% of web traffic currently. Each new user is another potential cyberattack victim and may put the entire platform at risk if a threat actor compromises their account.

More importantly, the frequency of cyberattacks has only increased in recent years. In fact, there were 40% more DDoS attacks in 2021 than in 2020. This jump highlights the importance of securing systems and networks against threat actors. Proactive action is essential when time is a key factor in defense.

Ways Video Streaming Platforms Can Secure Content

Video streaming platforms can secure their content with numerous methods.

1. HTTPS

Hypertext transfer protocol secure (HTTPS) is the standard for secure online communication. It safeguards communication using transport layer security and secure sockets layer encryption over an HTTP connection. This helps mitigate man-in-the-middle attacks by preventing threat actors from eavesdropping on or intercepting communication.

2. Geoblocking

Streaming platforms can establish geographic restrictions, automatically blocking any non-whitelisted area from accessing content. This method is useful when they know exactly where cyber threats are originating.

Unfortunately, threat actors can use a virtual private network (VPN) to spoof their IP address and circumvent the block. Streaming platforms should add a service agreement clause that lets them suspend or terminate accounts using VPNs to access geographically restricted content.

3. Token Authentication

A token-based authentication system grants users an access token after verifying their identity. If streaming platforms only allow these people to interact with video content, they can prevent unauthorized access attempts, curbing malware attacks and data breaches.

4. Advanced Encryption Standard Protocol

Advanced encryption standard protocol is a symmetric block cipher that exchanges a single key between the client and server to encrypt and decrypt data. Viewers who can verify their identity by signing in or validating their details are the only ones able to watch content. Unauthorized users remain blocked.

5. HLS Encryption

HTTP live streaming (HLS) encryption is an advanced cryptographic method for video content. It works with AES-128 — a 128-bit block cipher — to further strengthen security.

HLS encryption prevents unauthorized access attempts by checking the validity of encryption keys before playing video content. If viewers have the wrong key — or don’t have one at all — playback immediately ceases.

6. Multi-DRM

A multi-DRM solution leverages multiple digital rights management (DRM) services — technology that regulates authorization for video content — to prevent unauthorized access attempts. While it’s mainly been used to stop piracy, it can also mitigate cyber threats.

Ways Video Streaming Platforms Can Protect Users

Users are fundamental to video streaming platform security, so they need protection.

1. One-Time Passwords

A one-time password (OTP) is a unique string of numbers and characters generated whenever a user attempts to log in. After they successfully log in, the OTP appears on their device. Its purpose is to ensure only the true account owner can log in.

An OTP can drastically reduce the number of account takeovers, making credential-based attacks much less impactful. Plus, since it’s so popular, most mobile devices can automatically recognize it and auto-fill the text box, meaning it’s no less convenient for users.

2. Multi-Factor Authentication

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is similar to OTPs. However, it requires users to submit something they know, have, or are — like a security question, personal device, or biometrics — to verify their identity. It defends against account takeover, brute force, and credential attacks.

Generally, MFA is highly successful — it can prevent up to 50% of account compromise attacks alone. In combination with other protection methods, it can block most attempts targeting end users.

3. Password Policies

Streaming platforms should consider establishing policies to protect users from themselves. More often than not, people reuse old passwords or make them as simple as possible for the sake of convenience, which makes brute-force attacks more likely.

Streaming platforms should require users to make passwords of a certain length, force them to include multiple special characters, and ask that they update their login information every six months. This way, they remain protected from brute-force attacks.

4. Helpful Reminders

Many people fall victim to social engineering attempts. Since artificial intelligence has made it easier for threat actors to generate error-free, convincing messages, more are being tricked. Streaming platforms should consider proactively contacting users about the issue. When streaming platforms routinely remind users their customer service representatives will never ask for login details or personal information, they reduce the chance of a phishing attempt being successful, mitigating account takeovers and malware attacks.

Video Streaming Platforms Can Protect Themselves

While cyber threats are becoming increasingly frequent and severe, digital defense technology has rapidly advanced in recent years. Video streaming platforms can protect themselves and their users if they strategically implement a combination of them.