Designing Secure ST 2110 Systems

The broadcast industry's transition from traditional Serial Digital Interface (SDI) to IP-based infrastructures, guided by the SMPTE ST 2110 suite, offers immense flexibility but exposes critical operations to significant cybersecurity threats. This paper addresses these challenges by proposing a comprehensive best practice guidelines tailored for ST 2110 environments, drawing on established industry standards. Leveraging the EBU's Technology Pyramid for Media Nodes (EBU Tech 3371) and key recommendations on equipment security and vulnerability management, our framework provides a practical blueprint for designing secure IP media facilities. We identify unique vulnerabilities inherent to ST 2110, including the critical dependency on Precision Time Protocol (PTP) for synchronization and the lack of native authentication on media streams. To mitigate these risks, the framework integrates multi-layered controls: robust network segmentation, secure control protocols via AMWA NMOS, continuous monitoring, and device hardening. Furthermore, we explore the application of Zero-Trust Architecture (ZTA), which treats every device and network flow as untrusted by default, and thus requires continuous authentication and authorization when interacting in the network. ZTA offers a robust, forward-looking strategy to reduce the attack surface in modern, distributed broadcast workflows. In summary, this paper provides broadcast engineers with actionable technical guidance to evolve their security from a traditional perimeter model to a modern, zero-trust approach, ensuring the benefits of IP-based media production can be realized without compromising on resilience or operational integrity.

Published

2025-10-13

Content type

Original Research

Keywords

smpte st2110, ip media, broadcast security, cybersecurity, zero trust architecture, ebu tech 3371, system security

ISBN

978-1-61482-966-9