The level of information security solutions in
html extensions varies a lot. In addition to the
HTML protocol, there are different vulnerabilities in
browsers that are complex programs. The threats are
due to different active content-producing extensions,
such as Java, Javascript, ActiveX and Macromedia
Flash.
Reliability and easy manageability of HTTP
extension implementations are critical. The
functionality of HTTP extensions should be able to
be clearly restricted. Currently, there are no
extensions like this in the MHP standard.
Service developers and terminal device
manufacturers have an interest in increasing the
functions that use the return channel in digital
television devices, especially different payment
services like shopping and movie subscription
services. The security threats to these kinds of
services are similar to the threats to Internet banking
and shopping services, and similar guidelines should
be followed in their development.
It can be noted that the security threats for end
users will be more emphasized in connection with
the trend for terminal devices becoming more
developed and more common. If the devices become
more and more like conventional PCs, it is likely
that the normal PC threats will also appear in the
digital television world.
Along with the deployment of MHP 1.1, the risk
of introducing viruses into set-top boxes is
increasing. As digital television transceivers become
more common, virus writers will be more interested
in them. The typical goals of malware developers
are, e.g., converting devices to act as vehicles of
denial of service attacks or as an automatic
transmission point for set-top box spam. State-of-
the-art set-top boxes and their applications are based
on Java. Consequently, the security issues in Java
concern them too. For the present, the Java programs
used in MHP operate in their own protected
environment, the so-called sandbox. The goal of this
arrangement is that malware is not able to use the
admissible applications. For example, it is possible
to shut down the MHP part (Java virtual machine) of
a set-top box using a simple loop structure.
Independently propagating worms are not a
relevant threat today because there is no
functionality currently in use allowing the MHP
applications to be propagated among set-top boxes.
If email functionality is integrated into set-top
boxes, this threat will become concrete in the digital
television world as well.
The program memory of a set-top box is erased
during a channel change, preventing malware from
gaining a hold. However, MHP standard version 1.0
defines a so-called persistent storage interface that
enables a signed application to write files to the
long-term memory of the user device, even though it
is loaded into the device every time the application
is started. In addition, the inter-application
communication interface of MHP enables method
calls over the network using the Remote Method
Invocation (RMI) of Java. This makes the work of
an application developer easier because Java
methods running in another virtual machine and
computer can be called just like local ones, and there
is no need to think about application-dependent
protocols. An obvious security threat exists if the
transmission of method calls over the network is not
protected. However, the Java application of the
server end must create and employ the Java Security
Manager – otherwise the RMI classes cannot be
loaded.
5 INDUSTRIAL INTERVIEWS
The state of the art of digital television services and
the service developer’s perspective were analysed in
the study by interviewing actors in the field in
Finland and elsewhere. In addition, the goals of
interviews were to investigate the value net of the
field of digital television, and the threats to its
different parts seen from the perspective of different
actors, and identify the special characteristics of the
service development process of digital television
services. Digital television programme production
can be divided into five main phases: programme
production, service production, packaging,
distribution and consumption. The questionnaire
presented in (Holappa et al. 2005) was used as the
basis for the interviews. This section summarizes the
perspectives brought out in the interviews.
During the interviews it was noticed that it is
essential to analyse the information security issues
connected with each phase, their potential problems,
threats and solutions.
Currently, the main security concern in the
digital television field is the security of the terminal
devices, the digital transceivers. The terminal
devices are quite vulnerable to erroneous data
stream. An example of this vulnerability was seen in
the spring of 2004 when an erroneous program
stream was damaging terminal devices in Finland
(Tietoviikko 2004). As MHP applications become
more common, the security of the terminal devices is
becoming more important. The issues to be solved
include authentication of the application, protection
of the terminal device (anti-virus software, firewalls)
and viewer privacy issues. A general view is that
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