Farncombe launches OTT security monitoring service

TV technology consultancy firm Farncombe has launched a new security monitoring service designed to manage fraud and prevent online piracy for over-the-top content. 

The service offers close integration of web-scanning, behavioural monitoring and data centre protection in a package tailored for the TV market. It can works alongside CA and DRM technology and can accept data from any billing system, according to the company.

One element of the service works by seeking out websites and social media that are attempting to drive traffic to pirated content, as well as the pirate sites themselves. A second element, behavioural monitoring, is used in addition to web monitoring to identify attacks on specific platforms, including abuse of streaming and download services and tampering with legitimate devices. The contract breaches detected can then be used to generate and enforce new business rules and policies. A third element involves detection of attacks on the hosting infrastructure itself.

The offering is available as a managed service or a cloud-based facility, operated from Farncombe’s Security Operations Centre in London.

“As the industry moves from a model of absolute technical security in broadcast pay TV towards supporting OTT delivery of premium content on a wide range of devices, a solution for deterring and detecting piracy and fraud has to be found,” said Andrew Glasspool, founder and managing partner at Farncombe. “Through our experience of protecting premium content over the last 20 years we know how easy it is to become aware of discrepancies and revenue loss after the horse has bolted. The Farncombe service offers revenue assurance through fraud detection, as well as the monitoring of piracy activity, which allow operators to meet the emerging monitoring requirements of content owners.”