SEOUL, Korea—Sinclair Broadcast Group said today that it is partnering with Korean-based content security provider Digicap to install a new system to automate ATSC 3.0 security certificate management. Sinclair will install the system, called Centralized Certificate Lifecycle Management System (CCMS), in collaboration with digital certificate management company Eonti.
Content security has been among the most contentious issues during the rollout of ATSC 3.0, with many viewers complaining about broadcasters encrypting 3.0 signals. Aware of these concerns, broadcasters are moving forward to resolve these issues to help spur interest in NextGen TV. The implementation of CCMS could help fill in the gaps by providing a more streamlined broadcast security environment.
Because ATSC 3.0 services may integrate Internet functionality with broadcast programming, broadcasters use such digital certificates to help reduce the potential security risk from unknown or unauthorized broadcast signals. Managing these digital certificates can be a complex and time-consuming task, especially for large station groups. A station must register a digital certificate the day ATSC 3.0 transmission begins and renew it every year or two thereafter. Further, because ATSC 3.0 stations launch at different times, certificate renewal dates are spread throughout the year, making it more difficult to ensure certificates are valid.
CCMS uses pre-populated information to automate and simplify the management and operational tasks of ATSC 3.0 digital certificates, significantly streamlining the process. CCMS works in collaboration with Eonti to automate the lifecycle management of security certificates. In the lead up to a certificate renewal, CCMS alerts notify involved parties. CCMS can pre-populate necessary forms, manage form submission, monitor responses, and notify all parties when compliance steps are met—or users can choose to have CCMS simply provide notification when certificates need to be renewed. By streamlining certificate management, CCMS frees station personnel to concentrate on more pressing tasks.
“Sinclair is proud to participate in this pioneering initiative to effortlessly manage our NextGen Broadcast transmission security protocols,” said Paul Spinelli, AVP Engineering for Sinclair. “We take our broadcast signal security very seriously. With new business models developing for NextGen Broadcast, we needed to secure our signal to ensure our viewers can trust the integrity of our broadcast.
“As the broadcaster with the largest number of NextGen Broadcast sites, we knew manually performing this work was inefficient and not sustainable,” Spinelli added. “CCMS enables us to do this more efficiently and with reduced effort across our operations, ultimately accelerating the transition to NextGen Broadcasting.”
“We love to help broadcast stations solve their problems as they move to more software-based and cloud-based solutions,” said Joonyoung Park, SVP for DigiCAP. “We made it easier for broadcasters by building CCMS on top of our software development and operation platform to provide rapid software development and validation with secure operations. We are committed to supporting our broadcast station customers and partners moving forward with next generation broadcast platforms.”
"We are at a transformative juncture in broadcasting, where the integration of ATSC 3.0's advanced security and content protection capabilities with our digital certificate lifecycle management expertise is set to redefine industry standards,” said Oscar Marcia, CEO of Eonti. “Our collaboration with DigiCAP and Sinclair Broadcast Group in deploying the CCMS not only underscores our commitment to leveraging technology to enhance broadcast security while also streamlining operational efficiencies for broadcasters.
"This initiative leverages the expertise and technology of DigiCAP and Eonti to help broadcasters manage digital certificates, ensure content integrity and trust for consumers,” Marcia continued. “Eonti is proud to contribute our deep-rooted knowledge in PKI and cybersecurity to enable seamless, secure, and scalable broadcasting solutions to the industry.”
