Amino Launches Innovative Approach to Securing Broadband Communications

Added: (Wed Oct 17 2001)

Pressbox (Press Release) - New technology provides digital rights protection for streaming content


17 October 2001: Amino Communications today announced its new Amino Security Agent that protects all types of online digital assets and ensures the secure distribution of streaming content over broadband Internet Protocol networks. The Amino Security Agent provides real-time, end-to-end protection for data, video, audio, news feeds and web pages as well as securing e-commerce transactions and email.

Within the growing spectrum of broadband communications, different content and processes require varying levels of security – making it impossible to select a single regime that fits all. But Amino overcomes this challenge by varying the level of encryption in real time depending upon the type and value of content or transaction. For example, valuable film content may be heavily encrypted, while news, with only transient value, is protected by a lower level of encryption and adverts could be sent in the clear.

The Amino security framework comprises a range of Intellectual Property aimed at network operators, service providers and system builders that need to integrate security into their hardware devices such as digital set-top boxes, PDAs and mobile phones. In this way, businesses are able to implement tailored security solutions that meet their specific needs and also make the best use of bandwidth available. And importantly, the Amino approach requires fewer system resources than existing technologies yet delivers far greater protection.

The Amino Security Agent implements a multi-level security architecture where users are authenticated using highly-secure PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) before moving onto lower strength key generation to protect data passing over the IP network.

“In Digital Rights Management, there is a trade-off between security and speed,” said Martyn Gilbert, CEO of Amino Communications.
“Our approach takes proven technologies such as PKI and combines them with innovative patent-pending technologies from Amino to minimize risk to content dynamically without compromising performance.”

Solutions for service providers
Service providers need to prevent unauthorised use of their content. The Amino Security Agent when used in combination with Amino’s FlexCipher algorithm can change the level of encryption in real time, determining the strength of encryption by balancing the value of the content with the duration of secrecy required. Service providers and content owners also need to trace illicit copying of videos so they can pinpoint where piracy occurred. Amino’s Advanced Digital Watermarking technology adds an invisible watermark that cannot be removed without damaging video quality. The Watermark is cryptographically secure, with encryption keys required to detect and read the watermark. The keys provide a unique steganographic user ID that is stamped onto the video at each point in the chain.

Solutions for network operators
Internet Protocol (IP) is fast becoming the dominant delivery vehicle for digital content. However, today’s Conditional Access (CA) systems are subscriber-based and inappropriate for the transaction-based business model that is evolving in the world of convergent IP. These CA systems are also TV-oriented while consumers want to receive content on many different devices – Set-top box, PC, 2.5G or 3G Mobile.

Amino provides content protection using Internet security systems such as the proven PKI open standard and verification via Certification Authorities. Because PKI is hard to implement, Amino provides the PKI RobotÔ, a PKI “in a box” system that works alongside existing subscriber management/CA systems. Network operators now have a way of maximising the value of their network by providing Conditional Access on demand.


About Amino
Amino licenses innovative intellectual property to system builders and digital designers generating next generation digital solutions. Amino enables its customers to bring networked electronic devices to market in a matter of months instead of years giving them a vital competitive advantage. In addition to fast time to market, digital designers creating next generation silicon also benefit from design-reuse while system builders have post-design flexibility built-in.
Inherent within all Amino designs is a robust security framework that ensures wherever devices are in dialogue, they communicate securely. This protects the revenue streams that flow through them. For more information, go to www.aminocom.com

ENDS

Photography can be downloaded from www.aminocom.com/photos/

For further information, please contact:

Peter Rennison/Alison Andrews
Peter Rennison PR
01442 245030
mailto:pr@prpr.co.uk

Sarah Keefe
Amino Communications
01954 784526
mailto:skeefe@aminocom.com