Every musician knows that art is far more than a money-making product. Your music is the manifestation of your heart, soul, and spirit. So when cybercriminals threaten to steal, corrupt, or exploit that which is so very precious to you, it means not just a potentially significant financial loss, but also a deep psychic wound.
The good news, though, is that there are things musicians and music industry professionals can do to protect their invaluable content from the threat of cybercrime. This article examines the importance of cybersecurity in the music industry and provides important tips for ensuring that your content is safe from digital intruders.
A Brief History of Cybercrime in the Music Industry
Unfortunately, there’s a long and notorious record of cybercrime in the music industry. For decades, thieves have been finding new ways to inappropriately access and release unpublished music from popular artists and bands, monetizing the pirated content for the thieves’ own financial gain.
With the rapid innovations in cloud computing that have emerged in recent years, however, criminals’ nefarious practices have necessarily become more sophisticated. Instead of the physical theft of content which is then copied and released on illicit file-sharing sites, cybercriminals are now looking to breach the security systems of digital platforms in order to access content stored in the cloud.
The leak of content prior to its official release can cost artists and labels tens of millions of dollars in sales revenues and royalties. Just as significant, the publicizing of unfinished material means that artists are deprived of the opportunity to bring their aesthetic vision to fruition. What emerges is a premature, raw rendering of what might have been.
The Risks (and Rewards) of Cloud Computing
In many ways, the advent of cloud computing has served to revolutionize the music industry. No longer must production schedules be constrained by the availability of artists, producers, and technicians. Thanks to cloud computing, production can occur anytime and anywhere. Artists and producers can send, receive, and collaborate on music files in real time, regardless of their geographic location. This can significantly accelerate production times while reducing overall costs.
But there is a downside. With cloud computing technology, there is always a risk that hackers may penetrate the network or even that authorized persons may access and exploit the content stored there. When your content is stored in the cloud, you may have very little control over who can get to your material or what they will do with it once they have it. In fact, loss of control over your data is considered one of the top cloud computing security risks, along with data loss, data breaches, compromised APIs, and hacking.
The Internet of Musical Things (IoT)
Much like cloud computing technologies, the rise of the Internet of Things (IoT) has made the work of the modern musical artist far more mobile. Through the use of internet-connected music technologies, artists can create even while they’re on the road. They no longer have to expend vast amounts of time and money booking studio appointments, nor do they have to take time away from money-making gigs while they’re working on new material.
Once again, however, for all the advantages such innovations provide, there are also significant risks. Musical IoT devices, for instance, may be easily breached if the network to which they are connected is not secure. This not only increases the likelihood that your content may be stolen and leaked, but it can also pose a significant personal security risk.
Online stalking, unfortunately, is a known hazard for musicians. Cybercriminals with dangerous intentions may easily tap into unsecured IoT devices to not only surveil what you are doing and saying but also to track where you are and where you are going.
Securing the Network
As substantial as the cybersecurity risks may be for artists and music producers, there are ways to protect yourself. You don’t have to renounce online technology in order to keep your content secure. Rather, the focus should be on optimizing your network security through the use of the most advanced and up-to-date technologies.
Firewalls and virtual private networks (VPN), for instance, can provide a veritable fortress of protection for your content. But these security systems only work if you work them. And that means that you don’t just need to install the best software but you must also embrace the best cybersecurity behaviors.
For instance, it’s imperative that all content and every IoT-connected device be secured behind a firewall or on a VPN. Nothing should ever be created, stored, retrieved, or shared unless it is through a highly-secured network. Additionally, all security systems should be continuously monitored and updated to prevent any potential lapses in protection.
The Takeaway
The work of the musician is principally the work of heart, soul, and spirit. But that does not mean that there is no place for cybersecurity in the artist’s and producer’s occupational skillset. Indeed, if you want to protect your content, your finances, and even your personal safety, then cybersecurity isn’t just a luxury — it’s a necessity.
By Indiana Lee.