Conditional access
Encyclopedia
Conditional Access is the protection of content by requiring certain criteria to be met before granting access to this content. The term is commonly used in relation to digital television
Digital television
Digital television is the transmission of audio and video by digital signals, in contrast to the analog signals used by analog TV...

 systems, most notably satellite television
Satellite television
Satellite television is television programming delivered by the means of communications satellite and received by an outdoor antenna, usually a parabolic mirror generally referred to as a satellite dish, and as far as household usage is concerned, a satellite receiver either in the form of an...

.

Conditional access in DVB

Under the DVB, conditional access system standards are defined in the specification documents for DVB-CA (Conditional Access), DVB-CSA
Common Scrambling Algorithm
The Common Scrambling Algorithm is the encryption algorithm used in the DVB digital television broadcasting for encrypting video streams.CSA was specified by ETSI and adopted by the DVB consortium in May 1994.-History:...

 (the Common Scrambling
Scrambler
In telecommunications, a scrambler is a device that transposes or inverts signals or otherwise encodes a message at the transmitter to make the message unintelligible at a receiver not equipped with an appropriately set descrambling device...

 Algorithm) and DVB-CI (the Common Interface
Common Interface
In Digital Video Broadcasting, the Common Interface is an extensible digital interconnect found in the digital TV market. It is also known as DVB-CI for Digital Video Broadcast Common Interface....

). These standards define a method by which a digital television stream can be obfuscated, with access provided only to those with valid decryption smart cards. The DVB specifications for Conditional Access are available from the standards page on the DVB website.

This is achieved by a combination of scrambling
Scrambler
In telecommunications, a scrambler is a device that transposes or inverts signals or otherwise encodes a message at the transmitter to make the message unintelligible at a receiver not equipped with an appropriately set descrambling device...

 and encryption
Encryption
In cryptography, encryption is the process of transforming information using an algorithm to make it unreadable to anyone except those possessing special knowledge, usually referred to as a key. The result of the process is encrypted information...

. The data stream is scrambled with an 48-bit secret key, called the control word. Knowing the value of the control word at a given moment is of relatively little value, as under normal conditions, content providers will change the control word several times per minute. The control word is generated automatically in such a way that successive values are not usually predictable; the DVB specification recommends using a physical process for that.

In order for the receiver to unscramble the data stream, it must be permanently informed about the current value of the control word. In practise, it must be informed slightly in advance, so that no viewing interruption occurs. Encryption
Encryption
In cryptography, encryption is the process of transforming information using an algorithm to make it unreadable to anyone except those possessing special knowledge, usually referred to as a key. The result of the process is encrypted information...

 is used to protect the control word during transmission to the receiver: the control word is encrypted as an entitlement control message (ECM). The CA subsystem in the receiver will decrypt the control word only when authorised to do so; that authority is sent to the receiver in the form of an entitlement management message (EMM). The EMMs are specific to each subscriber, as identified by the smart card in his receiver, or to groups of subscribers, and are issued much less frequently than ECMs, usually at monthly intervals. This being apparently not sufficient to prevent unauthorized viewing, TPS
Télévision Par Satellite
Télévision Par Satellite was a French company that offered subscription television packages via satellite.It was created in 1996 by France Télévisions, the TF1 Group and the M6 Group...

 has lowered this interval down to about 12 minutes. This can be different for every provider, BSkyB
British Sky Broadcasting
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc is a satellite broadcasting, broadband and telephony services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, with operations in the United Kingdom and the Ireland....

 uses a term of 6 weeks. When Nagravision 2
Nagravision
Nagravision is a company of the Kudelski Group that develops conditional access systems for cable and satellite television. The name is also used for their main products, the Nagravision encryption systems.-Digital systems:...

 was hacked, Digital+ started sending a new EMM every three days to make unauthorized viewing more cumbersome.

The contents of ECMs and EMMs are not standardized and as such they depend on the conditional access system being used.

The control word can be transmitted through different ECMs at once. This allows the use of several conditional access systems at the same time, a DVB feature called simulcrypt, which saves bandwidth and encourages multiplex operators to cooperate. DVB Simulcrypt is widespread in Europe; some channels, like the CNN International
CNN International
CNN International is an international English language television network that carries news, current affairs, politics, opinions, and business programming worldwide. CNN is one of the world's largest news organizations. It is owned by Time Warner, and is affiliated with CNN, which is mainly...

 Europe from the Hot Bird
Hot Bird
Hot Bird is the name of a popular family of satellites operated by Eutelsat, located at 13°E over the Equator and with a transmitting footprint over Europe, North Africa and the Middle East....

 satellites, can use 7 different CA systems in parallel.

The decryption cards are read, and sometimes updated with specific access rights, either through a Conditional Access Module
Conditional access module
A conditional access module is an electronic device, usually incorporating a slot for a smart card, which equips an Integrated Digital Television or set-top box with the appropriate hardware facility to view conditional access content that has been encrypted using a conditional access system...

 (CAM), a PC card
PC card
In computing, PC Card is the form factor of a peripheral interface designed for laptop computers. The PC Card standard was defined and developed by the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association which itself was created by a number of computer industry companies in the United States...

-format card reader meeting DVB-CI standards, or through a built-in ISO/IEC 7816 card reader, such as that in the Sky Digibox.

Several companies provide competing CA systems; SafeAccess, VideoGuard
VideoGuard
VideoGuard , produced by NDS, is a digital encryption system for use with conditional access television broadcasting. It is used on digital satellite television systems - some of which are operated by News Corporation, which owns about half of NDS...

, Irdeto Access, Nagravision
Nagravision
Nagravision is a company of the Kudelski Group that develops conditional access systems for cable and satellite television. The name is also used for their main products, the Nagravision encryption systems.-Digital systems:...

, CoreTrust, Conax
Conax
Conax is a global technology company that provides conditional access solutions for digital television. Based in Oslo, Norway, Conax has subsidiaries in the USA, India and Germany and sales & support offices in Russia, Singapore, China, South Korea, Brazil, and Canada.- Overview :Between 1986 and...

, Viaccess
Viaccess
Viaccess is a conditional access system developed by France Télécom. There are six versions in use today, Viaccess PC2.3, Viaccess PC2.4, Viaccess PC2.5, Viaccess PC2.6, Viaccess PC3.0 and Viaccess PC4.0....

, Latens, Verimatrix, and Mediaguard
Mediaguard
Mediaguard is a conditional access system for digital television developed by SECA , company renamed to Canal+ Technologies SA , a subsidiary of Canal+ Group, sold to Thomson...

 (a.k.a. SECA
SECA
SECA, SecA or Seca may refer to:* Société Européenne de Contrôle d'Accès, now Nagra France* The SECA Mediaguard encryption system, designed by the above company....

) are among the most commonly used CA systems.

Due to the common usage of CA in DVB systems, many tools to aid in or even directly circumvent
Pirate decryption
Pirate decryption most often refers to the reception of compromised pay TV or pay radio signals without authorization from the original broadcaster...

 encryption exist. CAM emulators and multiple-format CAMs exist which can either read several card formats or even directly decrypt a compromised encryption scheme. Most multiple format CAMs and all CAMs that directly decrypt a signal are based on reverse engineering
Reverse engineering
Reverse engineering is the process of discovering the technological principles of a device, object, or system through analysis of its structure, function, and operation...

 of the CA systems. A large proportion of the systems currently in use for DVB encryption have been opened to full decryption at some point, including Nagravision, Conax, Viaccess and Mediaguard (v1).

Conditional access in North America

In Canadian and United States cable systems
Cable television in the United States
Cable television in the United States is a common form of television delivery, generally by subscription. Cable television first became available in the United States in 1948, with subscription services in 1949. Data by SNL Kagan shows that as of 2006 about 58.4% of all American homes subscribe to...

, the standard for conditional access is provided with CableCARD
CableCARD
CableCARD is a special-use PCMCIA card that allows consumers in the United States to view and record digital cable television channels on digital video recorders, personal computers and television sets without the use of other equipment such as a set top box provided by a cable television company...

s whose specification was developed by the cable company consortium CableLabs
CableLabs
Founded in 1988 by cable television operating companies, Cable Television Laboratories, Inc. is a not-for-profit research and development consortium that has cable operators as its members. System operators from around the world are eligible to be members. Members dues are based on revenue...

.

Cable companies in the US are required by the Federal Communications Commission
Federal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...

 to support CableCARDs; standards now exist for two way communication (M-card) but satellite television has its own standards. Next generation approaches in the United States eschew such physical cards and employ schemes using downloadable software for conditional access such as DCAS
Downloadable Conditional Access System
Downloadable Conditional Access System or DCAS is a proposal advanced by CableLabs for secure software download of a specific Conditional Access client which controls digital rights management into an OCAP-compliant host consumer media device...

.

The main appeal of such approaches is that the access control
Access control
Access control refers to exerting control over who can interact with a resource. Often but not always, this involves an authority, who does the controlling. The resource can be a given building, group of buildings, or computer-based information system...

 may be upgraded dynamically in response to security breaches without requiring expensive exchanges of physical conditional access module
Conditional access module
A conditional access module is an electronic device, usually incorporating a slot for a smart card, which equips an Integrated Digital Television or set-top box with the appropriate hardware facility to view conditional access content that has been encrypted using a conditional access system...

s. Another appeal is that it may be inexpensively incorporated into non-traditional media display devices such as Portable media player
Portable media player
A portable media player or digital audio player, is a consumer electronics device that is capable of storing and playing digital media such as audio, images, video, documents, etc. the data is typically stored on a hard drive, microdrive, or flash memory. In contrast, analog portable audio...

s.

Digital Systems

CA id.NameDeveloped byIntroduced (year)SecurityNotes
0x4AEB Abel Quintic Abel DRM Systems 2009 Secure
0x4800 Accessgate  Telemann 
0x4A20 AlphaCrypt  AlphaCrypt
? B-CAS
B-CAS
B-CAS is a vendor and operator of the ISDB CAS system in Japan. Or, the reception method that this company offers....

 
Used in Japan only
0x1702, 0x1722, 0x1762 BetaCrypt 1 BetaTechnik/Beta Research (subsidiary of KirchMedia) Partly compromised (older smartcards) Irdeto modification
0x1710 BetaCrypt 2 BetaTechnik/Beta Research (subsidiary of KirchMedia) Partly compromised (older smartcards) Irdeto modification
0x2600 BISS  European Broadcasting Union
European Broadcasting Union
The European Broadcasting Union is a confederation of 74 broadcasting organisations from 56 countries, and 49 associate broadcasters from a further 25...

 
Compromised
0x4900 China Crypt  CrytoWorks (China) (Irdeto)
0x22F0 Codicrypt  Scopus Network Technologies  Secure
0x0B00 Conax
Conax
Conax is a global technology company that provides conditional access solutions for digital television. Based in Oslo, Norway, Conax has subsidiaries in the USA, India and Germany and sales & support offices in Russia, Singapore, China, South Korea, Brazil, and Canada.- Overview :Between 1986 and...

 CAS 5
Norwegian Telekom 
0x0B00 Conax CAS 7 Norwegian Telekom Chip pairing (married card)
? CoreCrypt  CoreTrust 2000 S/W & H/W Security CA for IPTV, Satellite, Cable TV and Mobile TV
4347 CryptOn
CRYPTON
In cryptography, CRYPTON is a block cipher submitted as a candidate for the Advanced Encryption Standard . It is very efficient in hardware implementations and was designed by Chae Hoon Lim of Future Systems Inc....

 
CryptOn
0x0D00, 0x0D02, 0x0D03, 0x0D05, 0x0D07, 0x0D20 Cryptoworks
Cryptoworks
Cryptoworks is a DVB conditional access system, developed by Philips CryptoTec but now belonging to Irdeto.Cryptoworks is used by Digiturk, the BFBS satellite service, UPC Direct, ITV Partner the ORF, JSTV, and other pay TV or free-to-view systems; mainly in Europe...

 
Philips CryptoTec Partly compromised (older smartcards)
0x4ABF CTI-CAS  Beijing Compunicate Technology Inc. 
0x0700 DigiCipher 2
DigiCipher 2
DigiCipher 2, or simply DCII, is a proprietary standard format of digital signal transmission and encryption with MPEG-2 signal video compression used on many communications satellite television and audio signals...

 
Jerrold/GI/Motorola
Motorola
Motorola, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, which was eventually divided into two independent public companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions on January 4, 2011, after losing $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009...

 4DTV
Secure DVB-S2
DVB-S2
Digital Video Broadcasting - Satellite - Second Generation is a digital television broadcast standard that has been designed as a successor for the popular DVB-S system. It was developed in 2003 by the , an international industry consortium, and ratified by ETSI in March 2005...

 compatible , used for retail BUD dish service and for commercial operations as source programming for cable operators
0x4A70 DreamCrypt  Dream Multimedia 
0x4A10 EasyCas  Easycas
0464 EuroDec  Eurodec
5501 Griffin
Griffin
The griffin, griffon, or gryphon is a legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle...

 
Nucleus Systems, Ltd.
0x5581 Bulcrypt  Bulcrypt 200? Used in Bulgaria and Serbia
0x0606 Irdeto
Irdeto
Irdeto B.V. is a global software security and media technology company with dual headquarters in Hoofddorp, Netherlands and Beijing, China. It is a subsidiary of multinational media group Naspers...

 1
Irdeto 199? Compromised
0x0602, 0x0604, 0x0606, 0x0608, 0x0622, 0x0626, 0x0664 Irdeto 2 Irdeto 2000 Partly compromised
0x4AA1 KeyFly
KeyFly
KeyFly is a conditional access system developed by SIDSA which is compatible with the DVB-CSA platform. The system is based on SIDSA MACtsp processors, and Conditional Access Modules for it can integrate the card directly into the CAM.-Overview:...

 
SIDSA  Partly compromised (v. 1.0)
0x0100 Seca Mediaguard
Mediaguard
Mediaguard is a conditional access system for digital television developed by SECA , company renamed to Canal+ Technologies SA , a subsidiary of Canal+ Group, sold to Thomson...

 1
SECA
Nagra France
Nagra France is a company which develops and markets the Mediaguard conditional access system for digital television. It is a subsidiary of the Kudelski Group .-History:...

 
0x0100 Seca Mediaguard 2 (v1+) SECA Partly compromised
0x0100 Seca Mediaguard 3 SECA 2008
0x1800, 0x1801, 0x1810, 0x1830 Nagravision
Nagravision
Nagravision is a company of the Kudelski Group that develops conditional access systems for cable and satellite television. The name is also used for their main products, the Nagravision encryption systems.-Digital systems:...

 
Nagravision 2003 Compromised
0x1801 Nagravision Carmageddon Nagravision Combination of Nagravision with BetaCrypt
0x1702, 0x1722, 0x1762, 0x1801 Nagravision Aladin Nagravision
0x1801 Nagravision 3 - Merlin Nagravision 2007 Secure
0x1801 Nagravision - ELK Nagravision 2008? Secure IPTV
0x4A02 Novel-SuperTV  Novel-SuperTV  1998 Secure China and Other Countries
0x4AD4 OmniCrypt  Widevine Technologies  2004 Used only for adult
Pornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...

 television channel
Television channel
A television channel is a physical or virtual channel over which a television station or television network is distributed. For example, in North America, "channel 2" refers to the broadcast or cable band of 54 to 60 MHz, with carrier frequencies of 55.25 MHz for NTSC analog video and...

s
0x0E00 PowerVu
PowerVu
PowerVu is a conditional access system for digital television developed by Scientific Atlanta. It is used for professional broadcasting, notably by Retevision, Bloomberg Television, Discovery Channel, AFRTS and American Forces Network...

 
Scientific Atlanta  Secure Professional system widely used by cable operators for source programming
0x0E00 PowerVu+ Scientific Atlanta Secure Professional system used by cable operators for source programming
0x1000 RAS
Remote Access Service
Remote Access Services refers to any combination of hardware and software to enable the remote access tools or information that typically reside on a network of IT devices. A RAS server is a specialized computer which aggregates multiple communication channels together...

 (Remote Authorisation System)
Tandberg Television
Tandberg Television
Ericsson Television, formerly Tandberg Television, is a company providing MPEG-4 video on demand, and interactive television systems to telecommunications network operators and broadcasters. It was acquired by Swedish company, Ericsson in 2007, and was re-branded as Ericsson Television in 2010.The...

 
Professional system, not intended for consumers.
0xA101 RosCrypt-M NIIR 2006
4A60, 4A61, 4A63 SkyCrypt/Neotioncrypt/Neotion SHL  AtSky/Neotion  2003
? T-crypt 
0x4A80 ThalesCrypt  TPS
TPS
-Math, science, and engineering:*Theorem Proving System, an automated theorem proving system for first-order and higher-order logic*Twin Prime Search, a distributed computing project that looks for large twin primes...

 
Viaccess modification. Was developed after TPS-Crypt was compromised.
0x0500 TPS-Crypt  France Telecom Compromised Viaccess modification used with Viaccess 2.3
0x0500 Viaccess
Viaccess
Viaccess is a conditional access system developed by France Télécom. There are six versions in use today, Viaccess PC2.3, Viaccess PC2.4, Viaccess PC2.5, Viaccess PC2.6, Viaccess PC3.0 and Viaccess PC4.0....

 PC2.3, or Viaccess 1
France Telecom
France Télécom
France Telecom S.A. is the main telecommunications company in France, the third-largest in Europe and one of the largest in the world. It currently employs about 180,000 people and has 192.7 million customers worldwide . In 2010 the group had revenue of €45.5 billion...

 
Compromised
0x0500 Viaccess PC2.4, or Viaccess 2 France Telecom 2002 Compromised
0x0500 Viaccess PC2.5, or Viaccess 2 France Telecom Secure
0x0500 Viaccess PC2.6, or Viaccess 3 France Telecom 2005 Secure
0x0500 Viaccess PC3.0 France Telecom Secure
VideoCrypt
VideoCrypt
VideoCrypt is a cryptographic, smartcard-based conditional access television encryption system that scrambles analogue pay-TV signals. It was introduced in 1989 by News Datacom and was used initially by Sky TV and subsequently by several other broadcasters on the SES Astra satellites at 19.2°...

 I
News Datacom 
VideoCrypt II News Datacom
VideoCrypt-S News Datacom
0x0911, 0x0919, 0x0960, 0x0961 NDS Videoguard
VideoGuard
VideoGuard , produced by NDS, is a digital encryption system for use with conditional access television broadcasting. It is used on digital satellite television systems - some of which are operated by News Corporation, which owns about half of NDS...

 1
NDS
NDS Group
NDS Group Plc. is a developer of pay TV technology. NDS was established in 1988 as an Israeli start up company. It was acquired by News Corporation in 1992. The company is currently headquartered in Staines, United Kingdom...

 
Compromised
0x0911, 0x0919, 0x0960, 0x0961 NDS Videoguard 2 NDS
0x0911, 0x0919, 0x0960, 0x0961, 0x093b, 0x0963 NDS Videoguard 3 NDS 2008
4AD0, 4AD1 X-Crypt  XCrypt Inc.  Used only for adult
Pornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...

 television channel
Television channel
A television channel is a physical or virtual channel over which a television station or television network is distributed. For example, in North America, "channel 2" refers to the broadcast or cable band of 54 to 60 MHz, with carrier frequencies of 55.25 MHz for NTSC analog video and...

s
0x5500, 0x4AE0, 0x4AE1 Z-Crypt/DRE-Crypt Digi Raum Electronics Secure
0x4AE5 PRO-Crypt  IK SATPROF 2008 Secure
0x4B00 Safeview  Safeview | 2006 Secure

See also

  • Access control
    Access control
    Access control refers to exerting control over who can interact with a resource. Often but not always, this involves an authority, who does the controlling. The resource can be a given building, group of buildings, or computer-based information system...

    , the same principle applied outside of television.
  • B-CAS
    B-CAS
    B-CAS is a vendor and operator of the ISDB CAS system in Japan. Or, the reception method that this company offers....

  • CableCARD
    CableCARD
    CableCARD is a special-use PCMCIA card that allows consumers in the United States to view and record digital cable television channels on digital video recorders, personal computers and television sets without the use of other equipment such as a set top box provided by a cable television company...

  • Card sharing
    Card Sharing
    Card sharing, also known as control word sharing, is a method of allowing multiple clients or digital television receivers to access a subscription television network with only one valid subscription card...

  • Compression Networks
  • Digicipher 2
    DigiCipher 2
    DigiCipher 2, or simply DCII, is a proprietary standard format of digital signal transmission and encryption with MPEG-2 signal video compression used on many communications satellite television and audio signals...

  • Digital rights management
    Digital rights management
    Digital rights management is a class of access control technologies that are used by hardware manufacturers, publishers, copyright holders and individuals with the intent to limit the use of digital content and devices after sale. DRM is any technology that inhibits uses of digital content that...

  • Downloadable Conditional Access System
    Downloadable Conditional Access System
    Downloadable Conditional Access System or DCAS is a proposal advanced by CableLabs for secure software download of a specific Conditional Access client which controls digital rights management into an OCAP-compliant host consumer media device...

  • Irdeto Access
  • Betacrypte
  • Pirate decryption
    Pirate decryption
    Pirate decryption most often refers to the reception of compromised pay TV or pay radio signals without authorization from the original broadcaster...

  • PowerVu
    PowerVu
    PowerVu is a conditional access system for digital television developed by Scientific Atlanta. It is used for professional broadcasting, notably by Retevision, Bloomberg Television, Discovery Channel, AFRTS and American Forces Network...

  • Smart card
    Smart card
    A smart card, chip card, or integrated circuit card , is any pocket-sized card with embedded integrated circuits. A smart card or microprocessor cards contain volatile memory and microprocessor components. The card is made of plastic, generally polyvinyl chloride, but sometimes acrylonitrile...

  • Television encryption
    Television encryption
    Television encryption, often referred to as "scrambling", is encryption used to control access to pay television services, usually cable or satellite television services.-History:...

  • Viaccess
    Viaccess
    Viaccess is a conditional access system developed by France Télécom. There are six versions in use today, Viaccess PC2.3, Viaccess PC2.4, Viaccess PC2.5, Viaccess PC2.6, Viaccess PC3.0 and Viaccess PC4.0....

  • Videocipher
    Videocipher
    VideoCipher is a brand name of analog scrambling and de-scrambling equipment for cable and satellite television invented primarily to keep consumer Television receive-only satellite equipment from receiving TV programing except on a subscription basis. It was invented in 1983 by Linkabit...

  • VideoGuard
    VideoGuard
    VideoGuard , produced by NDS, is a digital encryption system for use with conditional access television broadcasting. It is used on digital satellite television systems - some of which are operated by News Corporation, which owns about half of NDS...


External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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