A method and apparatus for brokering the enablement of the communication of encrypted media programs from a plurality of independent broadcasters to a plurality of receivers is disclosed. The system makes use of a pairing key for each provided service, which is differently encrypted by a pairing server and by the broadcaster providing the service. The encrypted versions of the pairing key are decrypted in a first receiver module using information known to the pairing service but not the broadcaster and in a second receiver module using information known to the broadcaster. The pairing key is used to cryptographically bind the first and second receiver modules.

A method and apparatus for brokering the enablement of the communication of encrypted media programs from a plurality of independent broadcasters to a plurality of receivers is disclosed. The system makes use of a pairing key for each provided service, which is differently encrypted by a pairing server and by the broadcaster providing the service. The encrypted versions of the pairing key are decrypted in a first receiver module using information known to the pairing service but not the broadcaster and in a second receiver module using information known to the broadcaster. The pairing key is used to cryptographically bind the first and second receiver modules.

In one embodiment, a command is received from a video provider at a media rendering device, the command being a command to embed a subscriber ID in at least one video frame in a video stream. A random key, k is also received from the video provider at the media rendering device. An injective transformation is invoked for k and the subscriber ID, the injective transformation generating a sequence of pairs of: near-transparent patterns and corresponding time periods. Logical blocks of the at least one video frame in the video stream are overlaid with one of the near-transparent patterns for its one of the corresponding time periods. Related apparatus, systems, and methods are also described.

Described herein are systems and methods for hardware enforcement of hardware functionality in a television receiver. An activation message containing an activation code for a specific hardware component within the television receiver can be transmitted from a television service provider system to a television receiver having an associated smart card. The smart card can decrypt the activation message, security check the activation message, confirm the activation message is intended for the television receiver, encrypt the activation message with a local key, and transmit the activation message to a security processor on the television receiver. The security processor can decrypt the activation message, security check the activation message to ensure it is from the smart card and has not been tampered with, and enable the hardware component within the television receiver based on the activation code within the activation message.

Described herein are systems and methods for hardware enforcement of hardware functionality in a client television receiver. An activation message containing an activation code for a specific hardware component within the client television receiver can be transmitted from a television service provider system to a host television receiver having an associated smart card. The smart card can decrypt the activation message, identify the client television receiver as the destination of the activation message, security check the activation message, encrypt the activation message with a local key, and transmit the activation message to a security processor on the client television receiver. The security processor can decrypt the activation message, security check the activation message to ensure it is from the smart card and has not been tampered with, and enable the hardware component within the client television receiver based on the activation code within the activation message.

A method for determining an identifier of a conditional access card used in a conditional access system, in which the conditional access card autonomously modulates the timing of data packets sent by the conditional access card, to form a timing sequence that corresponds to the identifier of the card. The sequence is generated by a predefined non-linear function stored on the conditional access card, and the predefined non-linear function depends on both the identifier of the conditional access card and a non-linear random sequence that is known to the conditional access card and a monitoring station that receives transmissions from the conditional access card.

Devices, servers, systems and methods for content protection are provided. Disclosed embodiments improve temporal granularity of controlling access to the protected content and increase resilience against attacks attempting to prevent re-evaluation of conditions of access. Enforcement of re-evaluation may be based on the receipt and/or verification of tokens. In some embodiments, re-evaluation is enforced by periodically rendering content keys required for content decryption unuseable and/or clearing content keys already in use.

Techniques for a smartphone-based conditional access (CA) system are described. In some embodiments, a headend in the CA system obtains a security profile associated with a pair of receiving devices used by a user, e.g., a first device (e.g., a smartphone) and a second device (e.g., a set-top-box or a TV). The headend dynamically regulates user access to requested media content during each entitlement period by assigning and distributing separate keys to the first and second device based on the security profile. The headend also uses the distributed keys to protect the media content before broadcasting. On the receiving end, one receiving device receives the media content and determines whether it is decryptable by the device. If decryptable, the receiving device (e.g., the set-top-box/TV) decrypts the media content using the keys assigned by the headend. Otherwise, the receiving device forwards the media content to the pairing device for decryption.

Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable media for secure management of accounts on display devices using a contactless card. An application executing on a display device may receive a request specifying a service provider. The display device may receive a cryptogram generated a contactless card, and transmit the cryptogram to an authentication server. The authentication server may decrypt the cryptogram and generate a virtual account number associated with the contactless card. The authentication server may transmit the virtual account number to the service provider, which may create an account based at least in part on the virtual account number and the decryption of the cryptogram by the authentication server. The display may receive an authentication token generated by the service provider for the account, and access the account created by the service provider based at least in part on the authentication token.

A virtual set-top box (vSTB) for executing a middleware component, designed originally for use with the physical STB, including emulating hardware capabilities of the physical STB to process IPTV content received over a connection for presenting the IPTV content on a display of the electronic device.