CDSA

NAB 2019: Gov. Expert Talks M&E’s State of Security at Content Protection Summit

The opening keynote of the second-annual Cybersecurity & Content Protection Summit, being held April 7 at the Westgate Hotel, will have a pretty straightforward title: “Securing the Future of Media & Entertainment.”

But the experience retired Rear Adm. David Simpson, U.S. Navy (and former chief of the Federal Communication Commission’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau) brings to the discussion is anything but plain.

“My keynote will assert that internet-connected media has become the ‘virtual public square,’ where news, ideas and initiatives are discovered, debated and gain support for implementation,” Simpson told the Media & Entertainment Services Alliance (MESA). “Broadcasters are on getting ready to re-assert their position as leaders in this space, but need to be prepared for the cyber risk that comes with internet-dependent media already under assault.

“It is a time of rapid change and great promise for broadcasting, ATSC 3.0, IoT, 5G and the cloud will alter broadcasters’ technical landscape. New functions are just coming to fruition that will combine the efficiency of the broadcast medium with the personalized interactivity from internet protocol technologies.”

For more than 30 years now, Simpson has majorly influenced U.S. defense and Homeland Security policy, with expertise in public safety, telecommunications, and cybersecurity. He’s now a professor at Virginia Tech, leading Cybersecurity Risk studies for Pamplin College of Business.

During his time with the Federal Communications Commission’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, he oversaw public safety, emergency management, cybersecurity and disaster preparedness activities for more than 30,000 telecommunications companies. During his time with the Navy, he served as director of Navy Networks, vice director of the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), and director of communications and information services in Iraq.

Attendees of his keynote presentation at the Summit will hear how they can better recognize cyber readiness gaps in today’s broadcast landscape; determine cybersecurity risk exposure (and communicate that risk across their organization); and how to be prepared when, despite your best efforts, cyberattacks occur.

“Cybersecurity increasingly has become a team sport, yet many broadcasters have not defined roles and responsibilities for cyber beyond their technical staff,” Simpson said. “I’ll outline organization for ‘the rest of the cyber team’ and strategies to optimize security effectiveness and efficiency as the broadcast industry gears up for some exciting years ahead.”

Co-produced by the NAB Show and the Content Delivery & Security Association (CDSA), the Content Protection & Cybersecurity Summit is presented by SafeStream by SHIFT, Akamai, IBM Security, Microsoft Azure, Convergent Risks, the Digital Watermarking Alliance, the Trusted Partner Network, and produced by the Media & Entertainment Services Alliance (MESA) and the Content Delivery & Security Association (CDSA), in cooperation with the NAB Show.

For more information or to register for the CDSA Content Protection & Cybersecurity Summit at NAB click here or visit: contentprotectionsummit.com/vegas.

To register, click here.