It’s been amazing to watch the rise of digital video bring so many new opportunities to share video projects and collaborate remotely. However, as more and more high-profile projects and sensitive businesses move into digital spaces, the security of these spaces becomes a huge concern.
Digital spaces are much more vulnerable to outside intrusion than physical ones, and with so much more sensitive data being exchanged online these days, cybersecurity becomes harder and harder to control. Want to make sure your trailer doesn’t want to get leaked? Make sure you’re only sharing video through a secure system.
Thankfully, developers are working hard to address these issues, and now there are a variety of secure video sharing options that you can use to collaborate with your team without risking data leaks.
Why is secure video streaming so important?
Video is rapidly becoming one of the primary ways we distribute information and engage with audiences, whether that’s our internal teams or a global network of viewers.
Video is also notoriously vulnerable to a wide variety of breaches, from simple screen-recording theft to dangerous user data extraction.
So, if you plan on distributing high-value video content, you need high-end security to match it.
What makes a “secure” video streaming platform different?
While there are a lot of platforms available to distribute and stream video, what we look for in a “secure” video streaming platform is above and beyond your typical video sharing site.
A secure platform should have features like end-to-end encryption, controlled user access, security monitoring, advanced digital rights management technology, and multi-layered server and infrastructure protection.
In short, you should have full control over who sees your content and what they do with it during and after they access it.
We’ve compiled the top eight secure video streaming platforms and will walk you through the top features for each so you can choose the best one for your team.
Evercast
Evercast is a remote collaboration platform designed to make sharing HD video both easy and secure. It includes 24/7 threat monitoring and encrypted streaming to ensure that your data and content remain secure at all times.
Key features:
- Ultra-low latency HD video streaming (less than 150ms)
- Record and review function to review key session moments
- Real-time video conferencing, HD project streaming, and comments/visual note-taking all under one platform
- 24/7 security monitoring
- Two-factor authentication
- Industry-leading encryption approved by all major motion picture studios
Types of streaming it’s best for:
- Live camera feed streams
- HD-video file streaming
- Live workstation streaming
- Screen sharing
- Video conferencing
Wowza
Wowza is a media streaming platform that allows for both live and on-demand video streaming, allowing you to securely share video for internal events or external broadcasts.
Wowza has some native security features and regularly tests their code for incursions, but their real security benefit comes from their allowance of third-party encryption software and other security programs that allow you to customize your security options.
Key features:
- Browser-based
- Can broadcast to any device
- Token-based authentication
- Source-protection
- User-controlled security options
Types of streaming it’s best for:
- Live external broadcast
- Live internal broadcast
- On-demand video streaming
Create together remotely, in real time
Dacast
Dacast is designed for live video streaming that allows businesses and creators to monetize their video content. It allows users to put videos behind a secure paywall, as well as track engagement, and create live events.
Key features:
- Video monetization tools
- Online video hosting
- Dynamic token security
- Password protection
- Geographic restrictions
- Secure HTTPS video delivery
- AES video encryption
Types of streaming it’s best for:
- Live events
- Webinars
- On-demand video streaming
Brightcove
Brightcove is another video streaming platform that prioritizes monetization options for video creators. It allows you to publish and distribute video content to viewers with remarkable scalability and security.
Even if you’re not looking for monetization, Brightcove allows you to securely stream video to internal and external audiences that you control.
Key features:
- SOX compliant
- Device registration
- Concurrent stream limits
- Digital rights management built-in
- No software installation is needed; the platform works directly from the browser
Types of streaming it’s best for:
- Live external broadcast
- Live internal broadcast
- On-demand video streaming
- Live events
Kaltura
Kaltura is another great option for streaming video both internally and externally. What makes it stand out from a security standpoint is that it’s deployed in AWS Virtual Private Cloud, with VPC security that acts as a virtual firewall.
Key features:
- Two-factor authentication
- Controlled access
- Secure content management system
Types of streaming it’s best for:
- Live events
- Virtual town halls
- Internal business-wide video distribution
- Virtual meetings
VPlayed
VPlayed works with some of the biggest players in streaming, and as such, it has to provide some of the most robust security features to its users. It checks pretty much every box for secure video streaming, from encryption to digital rights management.
Key features:
- AES Encryption
- Dynamic watermarks
- SSL Certifications
- Password protection
- Paywall integration
Types of streaming it’s best for:
- TV/Film distribution
- OTT advertising
VdoCipher
VdoCipher is really on a mission to provide the most secure video streaming service on the market, putting their high-end security features front-and-center in their branding.
They claim to provide encryption that is far more secure than RTMPe and offer a range of security options that allow you to have total control over who accesses your content while keeping malicious parties at bay around nearly every turn.
Key features:
- Widevine DRM encryption AND Apple Fairplay DRM encryption
- Secure key exchange
- Domain whitelisting
- IP and geo-restriction options
Types of streaming it’s best for:
- TV/Film distribution
- Education
- On-demand external video distribution
Panopto
Panopto has really carved out its niche in the education market, and the rise of e-learning going from a luxury to a necessity has served to only bolster its offerings both in features and security. It’s an all-in-one platform to securely record, live stream, host, and distribute videos to an audience of any size.
Key features:
- Allows secure recording from Windows, Mac, iOS, or Android
- Built on AWS cloud infrastructure
- SSO implementation
- Multi-level infrastructure security
Types of streaming it’s best for:
- Education
- On-demand external video distribution
- Secure internal video storage and distribution
- Secure video file management
What steps should I take to make sure my video content is secure?
To ensure that your video content is secure, you’ll want to ensure it has multiple layers of protection against unauthorized access and unwanted or unintended use. To do that, you want to use a secure video hosting and distribution platform that offers at least a significant number of the encryption standards outlined below to prevent security issues.
#1: Password protection
Password protection is your first line of defense in controlling who has access to your content. Ideally, you’ll want to use a platform with two-factor authentication, as this will ensure that ONLY the users you have allowed access to can unlock your content.
#2: Domain restriction
Domain restriction allows you to “lock” your content so it can only be played back or embedded on the websites that you specify. This means that if someone were to get ahold of your file, they would not be able to share and embed it onto a different website without your permission.
#3: IP address restriction
Similar to domain restriction, IP address restriction allows you to specify which devices have access to your content. This is especially useful in closed-network ecosystems like company and college campuses, where you can limit access to only devices on a single network.
#4: Single sign-on
Single sign-on (SSO) allows you to connect multiple user management systems so a single sign-on can allow access to multiple portals. If you’re already using a secure access protocol for your business, adding a video management system with SSO tech is one of the critical security measures that will allow your employees to login and access content using their existing credentials while keeping anyone outside your organization from intruding.
#5: Encrypted real-time messaging protocol (RTMPe)
RTMPe is one of the “gold standards” of video encryption. The technology is complex, but it effectively prevents 99% of video theft techniques by “breaking up” and encrypting your video files, so it’s nearly impossible to rip an entire file through any method.
RTMPe is typically only available at the high-end of secure video management and streaming platforms, but for businesses and creators distributing high-value content, it is often worth the extra investment.
#6: Digital rights management (DRM)
When a secure video platform advertises DRM technology, they’re usually referring to multiple different security features dedicated to ensuring that the content published is always attributed to its original owner and can be traced back to them.
This way, if someone attempts to steal the content, it can thwart them through technology like dynamic watermarks as well as embed code that allows the content to be tracked/and or traced back to the original publisher.
DRM technology is used heavily by professional television and movie studios as a way to thwart piracy and allow them to enforce their copyrights in court.
