TPN Updates MPA Best Practices to Improve Content Security

Trusted Partner Network
(Image credit: Trusted Partner Network)

LOS ANGELES—The Trusted Partner Network (TPN), has released Version 5.2 of the Motion Picture Association (MPA) Content Security Best Practices. 

The TPA is an industry-wide content security initiative that is owned and managed by the MPA.

The group said that the update will help companies of all sizes across the entire media chain further manage their security vulnerabilities. 

The updates in the Best Practices include a crucial requirement for Software Application Providers to provide hardening guidelines, which comprise the security measures and best practices on applications to prevent cyber-attacks. 

The TPN+ platform will now serve as the centralized repository for these important documents at a version level for TPN members to update and/or source in line with TPN’s mission to raise industry security standards, the group said. 

“The update demonstrates TPN’s commitment to progress and to creating an environment that facilitates gathering and responding to feedback from our members,” said Crystal Pham, vice president, operations and product management at TPN. “This ongoing collaboration provides us with the opportunity to continually evolve the Best Practices, improve the assessment process, and enhance the user experience. Part of our initiative includes the regular release of Best Practice revisions.”

In addition, the new version introduces a more in-depth approach to the Best Practices that address remote content handling, work-from-home, physical assets, and data centers, which enables enhanced scoping for the TPN assessment. 

TPN+ and the accompanying TPN assessment questionnaire have also been updated to make it easier for Service / Software Provider members to manage their profiles and assessments and communicate their security preparedness status to Content Owners. 

TPN continues to provide clear minimum security preparedness requirements via the Best Practices and Additional Recommendations (previously referred to as Implementation Guidance) in a framework that supports varying levels of acceptable risk. This gives members a holistic picture of security status by topic, which also helps Service Providers create a thorough Security Remediation Plan, if necessary.

Maintained by TPN, the MPA Best Practices provides an important framework and recommendations for securely managing and protecting content in the cloud and on-site, including work-from-home and software applications. TPN also leverages the MPA Best Practices to develop the TPN assessment questionnaire.

With a growing membership of more than 650 Content Owners, Service Providers, and Software Application companies across 52 countries, TPN is focused on improving security by making the security assessment process more straightforward, and implementing clear, concise, and comprehensive best practices for the media and entertainment industry while raising the bar for industry security standards. 

By constantly gathering feedback and insights from member companies, industry partners, and adapting to emerging trends, the updated MPA Best Practices serve as a security benchmark managed to keep pace with industry transformation and technology evolution, the TPA said. 

More information is available here.  

George Winslow

George Winslow is the senior content producer for TV Tech. He has written about the television, media and technology industries for nearly 30 years for such publications as Broadcasting & Cable, Multichannel News and TV Tech. Over the years, he has edited a number of magazines, including Multichannel News International and World Screen, and moderated panels at such major industry events as NAB and MIP TV. He has published two books and dozens of encyclopedia articles on such subjects as the media, New York City history and economics.