Why the entertainment industry is writing its own security script
Imagine if the “Upside Down” in Stranger Things had been spoiled before the first episode aired. Or if the final twist in Interstellar had leaked across Reddit ahead of its theatrical release. Or if a key death or family betrayal in Yellowstone – a show built on suspense, tension, and shifting alliances – hit the rumor mill before a new season premiere.
For all of these productions, secrecy isn’t just part of the magic. It’s part of the business model. Storylines, designs, and casting choices aren’t just creative elements; they’re market-moving assets. A leak can destroy suspense, undercut marketing strategy, and cost millions in lost engagement and revenue.
Just like the automotive industry eventually moved toward its own dedicated InfoSec framework with TISAX®, the entertainment world faced a similar problem: existing security standards like ISO/IEC 27001, NIST CSF, and CIS were too generic for an industry built on layered partnerships, fragmented supply chains, and globally distributed creative teams. They didn’t go far enough to protect pre-release content in the real-world chaos of production.
Recognizing the limits of existing frameworks, two major security standards have emerged as purpose-built solutions for the entertainment industry:
- CDSA Production Security Guidelines: A practical framework for safeguarding content during production: on set, in the editing room, or in the cloud. Focused on physical, digital, and procedural controls for internal teams and collaborators.
- Trusted Partner Network (TPN): A formalized assessment and certification system for third-party vendors – such as VFX, post-production, dubbing, and cloud service providers – handling pre-release content on behalf of studios and streamers.
1. CDSA Production Security Standards
Created by the Content Delivery & Security Association (CDSA), this framework was developed in collaboration with top-tier studios and streaming platforms, including:
- AMC
- Bad Robot
- BBC
- Disney
- Marvel
- NBCUniversal
- Netflix
- Amazon
- Hulu
- The Producers Guild of America
The CDSA standard focuses on in-production security, providing a practical, on-the-ground framework for keeping content safe during filming, editing, and collaboration. It outlines expectations for:
- Classifying and safeguarding production assets (scripts, call sheets, footage)
- Physical device security and on-set access controls
- Network protection and remote work safeguards
- Monitoring, logging, and incident handling across the production lifecycle
It’s designed for direct use by production managers, crew, editors, and support staff involved before anything is handed off to vendors.
2. Trusted Partner Network (TPN)
The Trusted Partner Network, operated by the Motion Picture Association (MPA), addresses a different – but equally critical – problem: the security of third-party vendors handling sensitive content.
TPN provides a unified framework and audit process to assess whether external partners – such as VFX shops, localization firms, cloud-based editors, and post-production facilities – meet defined security requirements.
It’s aligned with global standards like ISO 27001, but fine-tuned for the content lifecycle. Studios use TPN certification as a benchmark for approving vendors.
3. When to Use Which Standard?
While the two standards serve different layers of the content lifecycle, understanding how they work together is critical for both content creators and vendors.
In real-world practice:
- CDSA governs what happens internally during the making of the content. It gives producers and crews a checklist to follow during pre-production, filming, and in post until handoff.
- TPN governs who is allowed to receive and work with sensitive content beyond the walls of the studio. It’s the gatekeeper for vendor trust and compliance.
As content workflows become more cloud-based and globally distributed, studios are increasingly requiring both standards: CDSA for internal discipline, TPN for external validation.
4. Adoption and Where It’s Heading
Right now, TPN has broader global adoption, especially among major studios and their vendor ecosystems. It’s becoming a de facto requirement for any external company that touches unreleased content.
The CDSA Production Security Standard, though newer, is gaining traction fast, particularly on high-value, IP-sensitive projects where early leaks can cripple a release. It’s also becoming more formalized, with supporting checklists and training materials being adopted across studio networks.
Expect to see both standards evolve and mature side by side, with increasing integration into studio onboarding, vendor management, and InfoSec audits.
5. The Bottom Line
The entertainment industry has finally done what other high-value sectors like automotive and defense did years ago: tailor its security expectations to the real-world challenges it faces.
Generic InfoSec frameworks like ISO 27001, NIST, and CSF continue to evolve and serve as a foundation, but they’re not enough to protect billion-dollar IPs, global fanbases, eager and tech savvy influencers trying everything for that viral post, or complex web-of-trust production models.
For content owners, vendors, and creators alike, understanding and aligning with CDSA and TPN is no longer optional. It’s the new baseline. Because in entertainment, secrecy is strategy. And standards are how you protect it.
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Disclaimers:
This article is an independent commentary intended for educational and informational purposes only. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected to the Content Delivery & Security Association (CDSA), the Trusted Partner Network (TPN), or the Motion Picture Association (MPA). All references to CDSA and TPN are made strictly to explain their relevance within the context of information security practices in the entertainment industry.
This article references Stranger Things, Interstellar, and Yellowstone strictly for illustrative purposes. All rights to names, characters, and visual elements remain with their respective copyright holders.
