The recent CDSA Content Protection Summit was memorable for more than just the tragic fires spreading throughout the Los Angeles area that morning. From a programming standpoint, here\u2019s a big shout out to our many presenters and panelists who participated. More than 260 attendees (many of whom traveled two-plus hours to attend) agreed it was our best program ever.<\/p>\n
However, there was one session that deserved special note: the Larson Studios Case Study that shared the inside story of their publicized, spring 2017 \u201cDark Overlord\u201d ransomware attack. The panel told the story in detail, openness, humor and determination. And the resounding comment of, \u201cDon\u2019t pay the ransom!\u201d echoed through the room. They had nothing to hide. They had everything to share.<\/p>\n
The presentation demonstrated an important sea-change in Hollywood\u2019s content security culture. The story that the Larsons told was about more than the personal horror of a ransomware attack, it was about how the sound studio\u2019s customers, their industry associations and law enforcement rallied behind them to solve and learn from the attack, all the while saving a dedicated family business and valued member of our production community in a time of need. The fact that the cyberterrorists targeted this small\/medium-size business in the Hollywood production ecosystem made it everyone\u2019s story.<\/p>\n
The irony of the drama that was going on just a few miles north wasn\u2019t missed. You could easily see the flames and vast smoke cloud from the roof of the Marina del Rey Marriott. At the same time as our first responders were rolling up the 405 and responding to the victims of the L.A. fires, saving lives, saving homes, stopping the wildfire attacks in its tracks, a community of content security first responders was learning first-hand and for the first time publicly, the drama of a business under attack.<\/p>\n
The Larson panel at this year\u2019s CDSA Content Protection Summit set a new standard for industry learning and collaboration. As our hearts go out to the victims of the fires, our thanks go out to the Larson team for a first, and very big step in altering the culture of shame, secrecy and guilt that has so-often come with a company\u2019s content protection breach.<\/p>\n
The CDSA community is critical to the continued evolution of content protection and security culture, for both service providers and content creators, in Hollywood and M&E around the globe. It\u2019s not a matter of \u201cif\u201d our industry\u2019s content is going to be targeted and attacked, it\u2019s a matter of \u201cwhen and where.\u201d And, most importantly, it\u2019s a matter of how we as an industry gather together to learn and help.<\/p>\n
\u2014\u00a0Martin Porter, president, CDSA<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The recent CDSA Content Protection Summit was memorable for more than just the tragic fires spreading throughout the Los Angeles area that morning. From a programming standpoint, here\u2019s a big … Continue reading Putting Out the Fire of Content Security<\/span>