[Satellite Today – 4-15-08] German pay-TV operator Premiere has unveiled its strategy to deter criminal hackers, the company announced April 15.
The operator, which saw its platform compromised earlier this year, has decided to use a dual strategy, working with both the Kudelski Group and NDS, two of the biggest players for providing Conditional Access (CA) services. In the second quarter of 2008 Premiere will introduce the encryption technology NDS Videoguard for the satellite transmission of its pay-TV programming. All new receivers will be equipped with NDS Videoguard.
 “A secure encryption system is the most important pre-requisite of the pay-TV business model,” said Hans Seger, chief program and technology officer at Premiere in a statement. “Our decision to work with two providers initially will also strengthen our hand in the fight against the hacker mafia, also in the long term. Anyone who has purchased a hacked receiver will soon realize that they have thrown the money out of the window and that it is better to buy a Premiere package the legal way.”