IBC 2025 Preview: Cybersecurity concerns intensify as media infrastructure migrates to IP

The media industry’s accelerating migration to IP-based infrastructure and cloud systems is creating unprecedented cybersecurity challenges that industry leaders warn could result in catastrophic breaches if not addressed proactively.

As professionals gather for IBC 2025 in Amsterdam this September, cybersecurity is emerging as a critical conversation topic amid growing recognition that traditional security approaches are insufficient for modern media workflows.

The expansion of attack surfaces through IP adoption, combined with the increasing sophistication of cyber threats, is forcing media companies to fundamentally rethink their security strategies and invest heavily in protective measures.

Industry Insights: Navigating the evolving landscape of cybersecurity

Expanding threat landscape

The transition from traditional broadcast infrastructure to IP-based systems has dramatically expanded the potential attack surface for media companies, creating vulnerabilities many organizations have yet to fully address.

“The migration to IP infrastructure and cloud integration is expanding the threat surface of media companies to cyber-attacks from bad actors,” said Chris Evans, head of knowledge and insight at IABM. “With the ongoing advancement of generative AI, the opportunity for more sophisticated attacks is greater than ever.”

This expanded threat environment requires new approaches to security that go beyond traditional perimeter defense strategies. The interconnected nature of modern media workflows means that vulnerabilities in any component can potentially compromise entire production and distribution systems.

Catastrophic breach predictions

Industry experts are warning that the media sector faces a significant risk of high-impact security incidents that could cause severe financial and reputational damage.

“Sooner or later, there will be a high profile, high impact cybersecurity disaster, causing untold financial and reputational damage for the unfortunate business victim,” said Sergio Ammirata, founder and chief scientist at SipRadius.

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The prediction reflects growing concern that the industry’s rapid technology adoption has outpaced security implementations, leaving critical vulnerabilities in place across media infrastructure.

Zero trust security imperative

Security experts are advocating for comprehensive zero trust approaches that secure every component of media workflows rather than relying on traditional network perimeter defenses.

Broadcasters adopt zero trust architecture for remote security

“The smart businesses will be looking towards a system approach that brings together every element of a production – and that includes intercom and document exchange as well as program audio and video – and adopts a zero trust approach to identify and secure every single node and switch in the workflow,” Ammirata explained.

This comprehensive approach reflects the reality that modern media production involves numerous interconnected systems, each representing a potential entry point for malicious actors. “Only when you are certain that every single device and circuit is properly protected can you begin to think that your infrastructure is safe,” he added.

Skills and training gap are opportunity for collaboration

The cybersecurity challenge extends beyond technology to encompass organizational capabilities and workforce development, with many media companies lacking adequate cybersecurity expertise.

“Content security and combatting piracy remains critical, but in this environment, it is only going to become more important for organizations to invest in upskilling and developing their cybersecurity credentials to protect infrastructure and workflows from vulnerabilities,” Evans noted.

The skills gap represents a significant challenge for an industry that has traditionally focused on content creation and distribution rather than cybersecurity operations.

The scale and complexity of cybersecurity challenges facing the media industry are also driving calls for increased collaboration and information sharing between companies and with security specialists.

Industry associations and trade organizations are being asked to facilitate cybersecurity information sharing and best practice development, recognizing that security threats often affect multiple organizations and that defensive strategies benefit from collective intelligence.

Security-first infrastructure design

Industry leaders are advocating for security considerations to be embedded in infrastructure design from the outset rather than added as an afterthought to existing systems.

“As an industry, the priority should be on integration over isolation: developing vendor-agnostic solutions, embracing open standards, and designing for observability, orchestration, and security from the ground up,” said Ian Wagdin, VP tech and innovation at Appear.

This approach recognizes that retrofitting security into existing systems is often less effective and more expensive than building security considerations into initial infrastructure design.

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The migration to cloud-based systems is creating new challenges around data sovereignty and privacy requirements, particularly for organizations handling sensitive content or operating across multiple jurisdictions.

“The ongoing tension between cloud scalability vs. the real-world constraints of large media files and privacy requirements needs to be looked at more closely,” said Sam Bogoch, CEO of Axle AI. “The industry needs more flexible, open solutions that respect data sovereignty on premise, while still enabling the power of AI software tools and remote access.”

These concerns are driving interest in hybrid cloud approaches that can balance security requirements with operational efficiency.

Investment priorities change while compliance pressures grow

The cybersecurity imperative is forcing media companies to allocate significant resources to security infrastructure and expertise, representing a new category of operational expense for many organizations.

Investment priorities include security operations centers, threat monitoring systems, incident response capabilities, and ongoing staff training programs. Many companies are also investing in security audits and penetration testing to identify vulnerabilities before they can be exploited

Evolving data protection regulations and cybersecurity requirements are adding compliance pressures that media companies must address while maintaining operational efficiency.

Organizations must navigate requirements from multiple jurisdictions while ensuring that security measures do not unduly impact content creation and distribution workflows.

As IBC 2025 approaches, cybersecurity represents one of the most urgent challenges facing the media industry.

The combination of expanding attack surfaces, sophisticated threats, and the critical nature of media infrastructure is forcing companies to treat cybersecurity as a fundamental operational requirement rather than an optional enhancement. 

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