Cybersecurity and Pro AV Priorities: Balancing Act in the Cloud Age

Cloud Shift: Navigating Cybersecurity Challenges in AV Transitions

For folks who've ventured into AV infrastructure migration to the cloud, it's no secret - it ain't as simple as flipping a switch! It's a significant shift, offering immense flexibility and scalability, but also posing some serious cybersecurity hurdles. Leaving the lock-down, on-prem, staff-controlled systems for the public cloud means your data and critical systems are suddenly exposed in a more open environment, which can give any security pro goosebumps.

Remember when AV infrastructure moved to IP transport? That was when we first had to rethink security. Now, with the cloud, it's a whole new ballgame. You've got confidential data and crucial systems operating in a potentially public space.

*[Cloud Power: The Virtualized Production Revolution]***

Execs love the cloud for its cost-saving efficiencies and OPEX-driven tools. But the securityheads? They're often less enthused. They're focused on keeping data safe, and that doesn't always align with the real-time demands of AV production.

Recognizing the Issue

This is an issue that also arises in broadcast, but it's a bigger problem in AV and internal production. In broadcast, there's always a risk benefit analysis. Broadcasters must produce content, and they gotta be on the air. So, there's a business case for finding a balance between restrictive practices and running the core business of making media.

In what used to be referred to as corporate environments, that need for compromise isn't looked at the same way. If you're a big corp, your need to produce content isn't the same as someone who produces content as their product.

If I'm a TV broadcast station, I can confidently say: if we can't reach a reasonable perspective on cybersecurity practices, we can't run the TV station and see no income at all. At a major corporation, I don’t have the same business case to take to the cybersecurity folks and say, "look, if we don't do this, our company can’t achieve its main goal.” That can make it tough to find common ground.

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*[AVoIP: Moving Beyond the Buzzword]***

Trust is another issue. AV teams need real-time access to systems that may seem vulnerable to security teams. Early communication is paramount. Without it, you could run into roadblocks that delay or halt projects. Security isn't something boxed up at the end of deployment; it must be baked in from the get-go.

Why Systems Integrators Matter

This is where systems integrators come into play. We navigate the web of corporate security requirements and still deliver an AV system that works.

Step one? Sit down with the security team and figure out their rules. What are the governance standards? What's allowed, and what's not? Without these answers upfront, you're just setting yourself up for wasted time and frustration.

From a best practices point of view, you've gotta look at it from the point of network performance requirements and security requirements. Figure out the conflict between those two things before you start the real system design process.

One of the first questions we ask clients is: what exactly are you trying to do with the cloud? Is it the best option for this application? And what would the partnership with a cloud vendor look like?

Once you've established the client's functional goals and their security governance perspective, it's crucial that you advise the client on what's involved, as well as the potential risks, so they don't invest in a project with us that they can't realize, because it doesn't meet the company's requirements.

Measure Twice, Cut Once

Lesser-known issues include what transport protocols are allowed on the network, what security methodologies are allowed for a VPN? Take that info, look at your design, and determine if using those standards will meet the performance requirements for the system you're building.

The next step is to weigh the upfront costs of a cloud-based system. The good news is that, once you've run that gauntlet with your client, you'll have a guidepost of what's allowed and can get creative to find where that adoption can be most useful.

Once you grasp the client requirements, the first order of business is to understand their security concerns. Then, evaluate if the cloud is the right way to go. We need to consider if we're talking about a private cloud inside the client's data center or server room, or the public cloud in the form of Google, AWS, and Microsoft Azure. You can run the same technology using all. So, the question is, are we talking about a public cloud or software-defined workflows?

Often, the folks in charge of cybersecurity at large corporations want to know about the transport of content, how it's protected as it's distributed, and how assets are stored. Once we answer those questions, we can make location decisions and evaluate those environments to mitigate the challenges of transitioning these workflows into a software-defined infrastructure, whether it's on-prem or in the cloud.

The key is collaboration. Integrators have to bridge the gap between the AV team's needs and the security team's limitations. That often means plenty of back-and-forth discussions, tweaking designs, and revisiting project assumptions. It's not a quick process, but it's essential to get right.

Balancing Security with Performance

When it comes to cybersecurity, it don't come for free. It costs you in performance. You only have so much bandwidth, and each layer of security you add eats into your bandwidth and processing power.

Take VPNs, for example. They're great for creating a secure bubble, but they also add latency and are heavy on network resources. When you're dealing with live production, those extra milliseconds can make a big difference. It's all about finding the right balance, and that's where advanced planning and design work is so crucial.

This isn't just about technology. It's about priorities too. Security teams prioritize risk mitigation, while AV teams focus on performance. Finding common ground requires a clear understanding of each side's goals and constraints. It ain't easy, but it's possible with the right approach.

The Cost of Failure

Cost is always a concern. Migrating to the cloud ain't cheap, especially when you factor in security hurdles. But here's the good news: Those costs are usually one-time expenses. Once you clear the hurdles, you've got a roadmap for future projects. That said, it's still the job of integrators to help clients weigh the financial and operational pros and cons upfront.

Cost issues also tie to scalability. One of the cloud's biggest attractions is its ability to scale up or down based on demand. But that scalability comes at a cost. Clients need to understand not just the upfront costs but also the ongoing expenses of running a cloud-based system, including everything from storage and bandwidth to licensing fees and support contracts.

We've seen what happens when these things go south. Not too long ago, a massive cloud storage platform failure made headlines. Bugs in the system weren't addressed, and a minor failure cascaded into a major disaster, resulting in the loss of massive amounts of content. It was a wake-up call: Redundancy ain’t optional, and you can't rely on a single point of failure, even in the cloud.

Another example comes from live production. Imagine a virtual production control room running entirely in the cloud. It's an elegant solution - until the network drops out. Without a backup plan, the entire production grinds to a halt. Redundancy, failover systems, and robust testing aren't just nice-to-haves; they're essential.

Looking Ahead

The future of cloud-based AV workflows is exciting. We're witnessing advancements in bandwidth and security tools that'll make cloud deployments more flexible and secure. We'll see new methods of deploying software-defined workflows that'll enable us to negotiate more fluidly between what lives on-prem and what lives in the cloud.

*[Tech Perspectives: The Videoconferencing Industry in the Same Playing Field with Different Toys]***

One of the biggest innovations on the horizon is the ability to dynamically allocate workflows between on-prem and cloud environments. Right now, you've gotta choose: do you run your production control room in the cloud or on-ground? Soon, we'll have the tools to make that decision on the fly based on the specific needs of a production.

Another area of innovation is hybrid cloud models. These setups allow organizations to combine the strengths of on-prem systems (control and security) with the scalability and flexibility of the cloud. As tools and technologies evolve, hybrid models' seamlessness will grow, enabling organizations to optimize their workflows like never before.

Moving AV infrastructure to the cloud ain't just about technicalities; it's about finding the right balance between security, performance, cost, and practicality. And it's crucial to bring the right people - security teams, integrators - into the process early.

The cloud ain't a shiny new toy anymore. It's a mature, deployable technology that can deliver real business value when done right. As we continue to see innovations in this space, I'm optimistic about the future. With the right planning and tools, we can produce AV systems that are not just secure but also flexible and efficient.

In the realm of AV transitions to the cloud, employees who manage security have concerns about sensitive data and critical systems being exposed in a more open environment.
The move to the cloud poses new cybersecurity challenges that weren't present when AV infrastructure shifted to IP transport.
Personal-finance considerations often drive executives to embrace the cloud due to its cost-saving efficiencies, but security teams remain apprehensive.
Systems integrators are key players in navigating corporate security requirements while still delivering a functional AV system.
The ability to find the right balance between security and performance is crucial, as each layer of security adds to the strain on bandwidth and processing power.
Innovations like dynamically allocating workflows between on-prem and cloud environments, as well as hybrid cloud models, will enable organizations to optimize their workflows more effectively in the future.