Encryption ensures that your videos are safe and secure when streamed online. This is often required if you want to securely share videos containing confidential information online. When we talk about encryption, there are two widely known encryption methods – AES and DRM.
What is AES video encryption?
Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) is a symmetric packet cipher used to encrypt and decrypt sensitive data on a global scale. This algorithm type has proven valuable to various industries, including online video streaming. When AES encrypts video, it generates a special key. Authorized video players decode this key in the browser via a secure transport protocol. These players rely on symmetric key algorithms to decrypt the ciphertext and provide meaningful content.
Why develop AES video encryption?
As you know, video encryption is the process of hiding video from unintended viewers, and AES is one way to achieve this goal. But where did AES come from? Previously, the preferred encryption method was the Data Encryption Standard (DES) developed by IBM. Even the U.S. government used it to protect sensitive information. For many years, DES was considered unbreakable, but technological advances have proven that it is possible to break the 56-bit encryption algorithm.
How does AES video encryption work?
Encryption strength is usually evaluated based on the size of the key used for the encryption process. Basically, the longer the key, the stronger the encryption. This means that AES-128 is the strongest and AES-256 is the strongest. In the case of online videos, the content is encrypted in such a way that authorized players need to decode it in order to access and stream these videos. Symmetric key algorithms make this possible. They use the same key for plaintext encryption and ciphertext decryption. Once this process is complete, the video player can stream the selected video to the viewer. That’s how AES video encryption protects your assets!
What is Digital Rights Management (DRM)
Digital Rights Management (DRM) is a technology or system used to protect digital rights by managing and restricting access to copyrighted digital media. DRM software also includes a variety of measures to prevent unauthorized copying, distribution, and modification of said copyrighted material. DRM technology gives publishers and content creators complete control over what they can do with and to their content, protect their IP, and prevent theft and illegal online distribution of their works. This makes DRM a cornerstone of any online business that relies on the sale and distribution of exclusive and premium content.
How DRM works
When an IP owner uploads a video file to their platform or streaming service, the file receives a unique encryption key from the DRM provider and uploads it to the DRM platform.
The platform encrypts said video file and sends the decryption key and necessary metadata to the license server for distribution.
When the copyright owner puts said video on their website or service, an encrypted version of the file is packaged and sent.
The DRM server is responsible for distributing the DRM encryption key to the licensee
When a user tries to play said content, the HTML5 video player sends a request to the IP holder’s proxy to verify that the user has access to said content.
If the copyright owner’s website or service verifies the user’s access, it communicates with the DRM platform and sends a license/decryption key to enable playback. The same process happens if the user tries to download the said video.
Now that you’re familiar with AES /DRM video encryption, we hope you’ve realized that using it (or any other encryption type) to protect your content from cyber attacks is critical! As technology advances, it will be easier for hackers to corrupt your files if you don’t use encryption. You can contact us to stay one step ahead of them and protect your video content!