CDSA

‘The New Cyber Threat of Disinformation’ at the Cyber Security & Content Protection Summit at NAB Show, April 8

LAS VEGAS — Cyber-disinformation threats are now moving from government to the private sector, and media & entertainment is a prime target, according to the keynoter at the upcoming, Cyber Security & Content Protection Summit, at the NAB Show in Las Vegas on April 8.

This half-day, inaugural event will provide technology and business updates on cybersecurity and anti-piracy initiatives in both film and television. It is being produced by the Media & Entertainment Services Alliance (MESA) and the Content Delivery & Security Association (CDSA), in cooperation with the NAB.

The keynote — “Defending Against Disinformation and Social Media Manipulation” — will be delivered by researcher and commentator Jonathon Morgan, CEO and founder of New Knowledge, who will offer advice on how news and entertainment companies can protect themselves and their consumers from misinformation campaigns that employ both paid advertisements and viral propaganda to exert influence.

“We’re now in an era where most people get the majority of their information online,” Morgan explained. “Information defense will soon be as essential as cybersecurity. Entertainment and media companies are already routinely targeted by disinformation attacks, as well as critical infrastructure companies like oil and gas, finance, and agriculture.”

Morgan is a cable-TV cybersecurity expert and has published research about social media manipulation with the Brookings Institution, The Atlantic, and the Washington Post, has presented at NATO’s Center of Excellence for Defense Against Terrorism, the United States Institute for Peace, and the African Union, and has also served as an advisor to the US State Department, developing strategies for digital counter-terrorism.

His company’s AI detects manufactured online crowds, social media automation, and other signals of inorganic social media influence. His technology solutions gives brands early warning alerts about potential threats, and helps them stop the attack before it influences their customers or employees.

“Disinformation is already manipulating the media and damaging brands. My keynote will walk through examples of fake or misleading stories that targeted the entertainment industry and were amplified by bots and other deceptive social media activity,” Morgan added. “Attendees will come away with a set of best practices to defend their brands against information attacks.

The 2018 Cyber Security & Content Protection Summit event will address the unique content protection needs of TV broadcasters, with sessions on protecting major live event broadcasts, the latest broadcast cybersecurity and vendor systems, software and services, protecting journalists in the field, the current state of broadcast signal intrusion, and more. Other topics to be tackled include the auditing of third-party vendors, securing cloud production, turning pirates into paying customers, hardening workflows, and protecting against ransomware.

Microsoft Azure, Dolby, NAGRA and Convergent Risk are sponsoring the event, which is produced by MESA in cooperation with the NAB Show. For more information, visit mesalliance.org/conferences/cdsa-nab-2018, or to register click here.