AES Video Encryption: Benefits And Implementation

Imagine you’re a content creator putting efforts into growing your OTT platform. But you don’t know much about video encryption.

You’ve already spent days and nights curating high-quality videos, and your subscriber count is climbing the graph. But then, you notice that your revenue isn’t reflecting the value of your work—only to find out that your content has been streamed by unauthorized sites for free.

It’s a common scenario: Even the giants in the global movie industry are losing an estimated $50 billion to $96 billion annually due to digital piracy.

To be on the safe side, many OTT platforms are now heading to AES video encryption. It’s a highly secure encryption standard that safeguards video content from unauthorized access.

So, what exactly is AES encryption?

This article will walk you through the intricacies of AES video encryption, its working principles, use cases, benefits, and implementation in OTT and IPTV platforms.

Key Takeaways

• AES video encryption is a highly secure encryption standard that safeguards video content from unauthorized access. It works by converting video data into an unreadable format that only authorized users can access with the right decryption keys.
• The process of AES encryption comprises the steps of key expansion, substitution, shifting, and mixing to give an encrypted cipher text at the end.
• HBO’s case study is an example of why AES video encryption is crucial to combating cyber breaches and data theft.
• AES integration reduces man-in-the-middle attacks, supports both software and hardware solutions, and comes with extended encrypted keys. It offers better control over content access that altogether makes it a top-notch security protocol.

What is AES Video Encryption?

AES stands for Advanced Encryption Standard. So, in lieu of what AES encryption is, you can simply understand it as a cryptographic technique that was developed in 2001 by the National Institute of Standards and Technology to shield digital content through advanced encryption methodologies.

AES itself is known as one of the most secure encryption algorithms available. It uses symmetric key encryption, and the same key is used for both encryption and decryption.

The only one who has access to that “cryptographic key” can decrypt the video data. In terms of video content protection, AES encrypts video data into complex ciphers that can’t be accessed by any unauthorized party. Even authorized access to the video is managed by a secure infrastructure.

How Does AES Encryption Work?

AES encryption secures video content by converting it into ciphertext using a systematic and multi-step process. Here's a detailed breakdown of how AES encryption works:

The AES encryption process consists of several well-defined steps:

1. Key Expansion

For advanced protection, the original encryption key further goes through a process called key expansion. In this process, a series of round keys are generated from the original key and their quantity depends on the size of the original key used:

• 10 rounds for 128-bit keys.
• 12 rounds for 192-bit keys.
• 14 rounds for 256-bit keys.

These round keys are used throughout the encryption process to add layers of security.

2. Initial Round

The process of encryption begins with an initial round that involves a single operation:

• AddRoundKey: Here, a bitwise XOR operation is used to combine the data block with the first round key.

3. Main Rounds

After combining the data blocks of video with the first round key, a series of main rounds are performed, each consisting of four primary types of transformation:

• SubBytes: Each byte in the data block is replaced with a corresponding byte from a fixed substitution table known as the S-box. This step provides non-linearity in the encryption process.
• ShiftRows: The rows of the data block are shifted cyclically to the left. Each row is shifted by a different number of bytes, contributing to the diffusion of the data.
• MixColumns: Each column of the data block is treated as a polynomial, and the columns are mixed to provide additional diffusion. This transformation combines the data in a way that makes it more resistant to cryptanalysis.
• AddRoundKey: Another round key is combined with the data block using a bitwise XOR operation.

This sequence of transformation is repeated for a specified number of rounds, which completely depends on the key length.

4. Final Round

The final round omits the MixColumns step and consists of only three types of transformation:

• SubBytes
• ShiftRows
• AddRoundKey

5. Ciphertext Output

After the completion of all rounds, the result is the ciphertext—a securely encrypted version of the original plaintext data.

AES Decryption

Consider the decryption process as the reverse of the encryption process. Now, the ciphertext uses the round keys generated during key expansion and goes through a series of rounds but in reverse order. The same steps are applied, but now the series will be:

• AddRoundKey
• Inverse MixColumns
• Inverse ShiftRows
• Inverse SubBytes

Why Use AES For Video Encryption?

As people are now more into digital streaming networks, the frequency of cybercrimes has also surged, which is a risk to the reputation and finances of the stakes. Cybersecurity Ventures’ 2021 report highlighted that global cybercrime costs will hit $10.5 trillion annually by 2025.

Furthermore, the Identity Theft Resource Center reported that the number of data breaches in the U.S. increased by 68% in 2021, and the common reason behind many was unauthorized access to sensitive content, including video data.

Ponemon Institute also carried out a survey which revealed that 67% of organizations that experienced a data breach did not encrypt their sensitive data. Together, these statistics highlight the importance of video encryption.

However, refer to HBO’s case study to understand why to use AES in particular for video encryption, and its effectiveness in combating the data breaches.

Back in 2017, hackers accessed the proprietary data of HBO and published the unreleased episodes of a popular show. To avoid any such future breaches, HBO implemented various security measures, including AES video encryption for encrypted video streaming. By encrypting their data, HBO could protect sensitive information and restrict access to only authorized users.

So, the implementation of this security protocol by giants like HBO underscores the effectiveness of AES video encryption.

AES Encryption in OTT and IPTV

On OTT platforms, AES encryption secures digital content streamed over the internet, including browsers and applications. It simply segments the video data into small chunks and encrypts those chunks with a unique or shared key depending upon the in-place security architecture.

When a user requests to watch a video, the OTT service decrypts the content on the server side, making the content only accessible to authorized users.

With an IPTV system, the AES encrypts the live and on-demand videos before they’re sent over to the broadband connection, which converts the ordinary video into encrypted video. The whole process of encryption is done in real time, and the decryption is done side by side via a set-top box or application provided by the IPTV service provider.

Benefits of AES Video Encryption for Content Providers

Mitigates Man-in-the-Middle Attacks

In such attacks where hackers intercept and manipulate the data exchanged between users and content providers, the implementation of AES video encryption is a great help. This is because it makes sure that even if the data is intercepted during transmission, it remains in its encrypted form.

Supports Both Hardware and Software Solutions

Another benefit of AES video encryption is the versatility it brings to the table of content providers. Unlike other video streaming software options, it adds a security layer to the video content on both hardware and software levels.

Extended Key Lengths for Better Security

AES encryption supports longer key sizes of 128, 192, or 256 bits, which gives content providers a choice to select the security level they want.

Improved Control Over Content Access

Encrypting content with AES offers better control of who can access the content. Providers can easily manage and restrict access by using unique encryption keys for different users or sessions. This is also beneficial for better tracking of monetization.

Implementation of AES Encryption in OTT and IPTV Platforms

For better security and integrity of video content on OTT (Over-the-Top) and IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) platforms, the integration of AES encryption is a must. Apart from protecting the data from unauthorized access, this implementation also enhances user trust in digital content delivery services.

To effectively implement AES encryption, the first step involves selecting the right key management strategy.

Key management is critical in AES encryption, as the security of the encrypted content relies heavily on how encryption keys are generated, distributed, and stored.

Content providers must ensure that these keys are securely stored and accessible only to authorized users. Many OTT and IPTV platforms use secure servers and protocols, such as HTTPS, to safeguard these keys during transmission.

Next comes the step of content segmentation in the implementation process. Video content is often broken down into smaller segments, each of which can be encrypted separately. This method improves security and also optimizes the performance of streaming so that the users can experience high-quality playback without delays.

So, be it a company or content provider, an encrypted video player is a must to ensure the safety of digital property.

inoRain is an OTT solutions provider that allows content providers to stream their content securely by offering integrated AES video stream encryption. This allows content to reach audiences across multiple devices and browsers in high quality—without any risks of data breaches.

Challenges and Limitations of AES Encryption

Computational Demand and Latency

As the key sizes in AES encryption are longer (such as 256-bit), the process of video encryption is computationally intense. This can create delays in video playback when implemented in video encryption software. High equipment demands of AES video encryption may affect real-time streaming, especially on lower-end devices or ones that already have high-quality video files.

Potential Side-Channel Attacks

While AES encryption is highly secure against brute-force attempts, it can still be vulnerable to side-channel attacks, where hackers exploit data from the physical implementation of encryption, such as timing and power consumption.

Hardware-based AES video intercom systems are especially susceptible to these risks, where physical access could expose sensitive information.

Impact on Streaming Quality

Speed and quality can both be affected by the implementation of AES encryption on the content distributed via OTT or IPTV platforms. Viewers might experience delays or reduced quality as the content has to undergo complex layers of encryption and decryption, particularly if the encryption software or intercom system doesn't seamlessly integrate with streaming protocols.

Implementation Costs and Complexity

For smaller content providers or new businesses, the cost of implementing AES encryption on OTT or IPTV platforms can be significant. Ongoing maintenance, regular updates, and real-time monitoring further add to these costs, especially if the content is delivered globally with specific compliance needs.

Conclusion

Despite the fact that AES video encryption shields the content by adding extra layers of security, it’s crucial to keep monitoring and checking on updates to maintain security over time.

Remember, cyber threats are evolving daily, so the need to be more vigilant regarding security measures is becoming intense. For this reason, content providers must be equipped with all the basics, from learning how to encrypt a video to knowing the encryption models, so that they remain one step ahead of potential breaches.

Ready to safeguard your OTT platform? inoRain offers advanced solutions equipped with AES encryption to ensure your content remains secure. With our expertise in video protection and streaming technology, you can deliver premium experiences while staying ahead of cyber risks.

Partner with inoRain today to elevate your platform’s security.