Data security and encryption in media storage

On this platform, H.E. Palmer, engineer Studio Network Solutions (SNS), addresses AES-256 encryption and how Q Day, the one in which quantum computing will be able to break certain types of encryption, will affect broadcasters, production companies or content owners.

For centuries, people have tried to protect the information confidential of prying eyes. In fact, one of the first known ciphers is attributed to Julius Caesar. In it, the letters of a message are moved a fixed number of places (for example, A becomes D, B becomes E, etc.) so that only someone with the secret key can understand the message. Similarly, the Romans used a cipher known as ROT-13 (in which letters were moved 13 places in the alphabet) to keep your communications private.

Although it is now easy to decipher, the principle behind these ancient practices remains the same: protect data by transforming it. This fundamental idea is the basis of modern encryption, although the methods are much more sophisticated today.

Today, the encryption It is a fundamental safeguard for digital media. By locking data with advanced encryption, media organizations add a powerful layer of defense against him unauthorized access.

What is encryption?

Encryption is the process of converting readable data in an unreadable format using a mathematical algorithm and a secret key. In simpler terms, think of encrypting data as locking your information in a safe: only someone who has the suitable combination You can open it and read it.

This prevents unauthorized use of your data, ensuring that even if someone accesses your drives or infiltrates your network, they will not can make sense of your files. Without the correct credentials, data is encrypted It's nothing more than gibberish.

Unmatched security with AES-256 encryption

Although there are several modern encryption methods, AES-256 (Advanced Encryption Standard with a 256-bit key) stands out as the gold standard for protecting data. If applied correctly, AES-256 encryption is indecipherable with current technology.

To put its strength in perspective, a 256-bit key has a astronomical number of possible combinations. Attempting to brute force decrypt an AES-256 protected system would take longer that the age of the universe with current computers. Additionally, AES-256 is considered resistant to threats from quantum computing, ensuring long-term protection against future developments in crypto attacks as the possibility of Q-Day approaches.

What is Q Day?

Q-Day refers to a future in which quantum computers will be powerful enough to break certain types of encryption, especially those used for exchange keys safely, as RSA (Rivest-Shamir-Adleman) y ECC (Elliptic Curve Cryptography), asymmetric encryption methods.

AES-256, on the other hand, is a symmetric encryption and is currently believed to be much more resistant to quantum attacks. Use a unique shared secret key for both encryption and decryption and is very effective in protecting large volumes of data. That's why AES-256 remains a trusted standard for protecting sensitive information, even in a post-quantum world.

EVO Data Security Measures

For AV teams handling sensitive content, from movie studios working on post-production for the next blockbuster to medical, financial, government organizations and more, EVO offers a safe solution.

Attempting to brute force decrypt an AES-256 protected system would take longer that the age of the universe with current computers.

Latest version of EVO offers encryption options AES-256 for data both in flight and at rest. This means your media files are protected not only when they are saved to EVO, but also when they are moved between EVO and your editing workstation. With full spectrum encryption, your most valuable media assets remain safe from unauthorized access, even if the drive is removed, stolen, or intercepted during transfer.

This approach is the same caliber of security used by IT equipment in businesses, financial institutions, and government agencies. These are some of the encryption options available in EVO.

Logical disk encryption- EVO supports AES-256 encryption at the logical disk level, meaning that the entire logical disk of your EVO system is encrypted as a whole, rather than relying on encryption of individual files or folders. Project files, raw images, graphics, edits, and even file system metadata – everything on the logical drive can be protected using AES-256 encryption.
Firma SMB: While encrypting data in storage is essential, protecting data in transit is just as critical to a modern multimedia workflow. When editors access streams over a network, there is a risk (however small) that data traveling between the server and a workstation could be intercepted or manipulated. To prevent this, EVO supports SMB signing, a feature of the SMB (Server Message Block) protocol that cryptographically authenticates and signs each SMB message sent between EVO and connected workstations. This prevents unauthorized modifications or attacks man-in-the-middle, ensuring that the assets you receive are exactly those that were sent, intact and verifiable during transmission. Although SMB signing guarantees authenticity and integrity, it does not encrypt the data itself. For devices that require end-to-end encryption, EVO goes a step further by supporting SMB encryption.
SMB Encryption: When SMB encryption is enabled, all data moving between EVO and users' computers is encrypted on the fly. This means that even if someone were to eavesdrop on your network traffic, all they would see would be encrypted data that is impossible to decrypt without the proper credentials. With logical disk encryption and SMB encryption enabled, files remain secure not only when they are on the storage server, but also while authenticated users access and share them over the network. It's a peace of mind to know that from the time a file leaves EVO until it arrives at a workstation (and vice versa), it travels in a locked container that only your computer can open.

Why encryption is important for media teams

For the creative professionals, security is not just a checkbox, but a need. EVO's encryption features offer enterprise-grade protection for the most security-conscious production environments with protection against unauthorized access, as EVO offers multiple levels of security, including user authentication and password-protected access control; defense against theft, as encrypted files, folders and volumes remain secure even if physical hardware is stolen or compromised, and compliance with industry regulations.

And strong encryption ensures that private and sensitive data remains secure, even as cyber threats evolve year after year.

When it comes to data security, the stakes are high for IT teams. media. A leaked movie clip or an intercepted video from a client can spread around the world in a matter of minutes. A strong encryption ensures that private and sensitive data remains secure, even as cyber threats evolve year after year.

With logical disk encryption AES-256, SMB signing and SMB encryption, EVO offers unmatched data protection without disrupting the creative process. And you don't need to be an IT expert to keep your media safe with EVO. You are not dependent on external cloud providers or external data centers: everything is contained and protected in the EVO itself. The heavy lifting is done behind the scenes, so you can rest assured that your projects are protected and your assets are protected.

Whether you work in a high-security environment or simply want a better way to protect your media assets, EVO gives you the best of both worlds: high-speed performance with enterprise-grade encryption options.