Leading TV Manufacturers Rely on TC TrustCenter to Implement the CI Plus Standard in Europe

TC TrustCenter signs exclusive partner agreement with CI Plus LLP to protect premium digital TV content against piracy

HAMBURG — CI Plus LLP, a consortium of leading TV and Conditional Access Module manufacturers, has heralded a new era of protection against piracy with the publication of the new CI Plus Common Interface Standard. To implement the necessary content protection mechanisms that are based on digital certificates, CI Plus signed an exclusive multi-year contract with TC TrustCenter, the leading On Demand Digital Identity Services provider based in Hamburg, Germany. As an authorized Trust Authority of CI Plus, TC TrustCenter will not only provide certificate issuance and management services but also the necessary registration for all manufacturers of TV devices, digital recorders and Conditional Access (CA) modules who want to license the CI Plus standard.

The CI Plus (CI+) standard is an enhancement of the existing CI Specification that eliminates vulnerabilities in content protection for Pay-TV content. To ensure optimum security between the CA Module and the digital receiver, the new CI Plus standard uses a collection of established, industry accepted and validated techniques, including key management, device and message authentication and encryption.

As an exclusive Trust Authority for CI Plus LLP in Europe, TC TrustCenter assumes the roles of a certificate agent and registration partner for manufacturers who are implementing the new standard in their products. The services include the entire on-boarding process of the manufacturers – from vetting to verification of subscription requirements to contract management.

To guarantee the mass provisioning of the CI Plus compliant certificates, which are injected into the receiving devices during the manufacturing process, TC TrustCenter developed an efficient and comprehensive solution in less than three months. It not only covers the entire specific security requirements of the new CI Plus standard but also meets the needs for flexibility, scalability, and administrative ease of use which are fundamental for the CE manufacturers to adopt the standard.

“We chose TC Trust Center because they demonstrated excellent technical expertise and an impressive responsiveness in adjusting to and acting on our specific requirements throughout the selection process,” explains Mark Londero of CI Plus LLP. “TC TrustCenter fully meets our expectations as a trusted partner to assist the market launch of the new CI Plus standard.”

“The trend of using digital certificates in electronic devices for strong authentification and for the protection of digital content is well corroborated by the new CI Plus standard,” says Dr. Artur Heil, Director Sales and Marketing, EMEA, at TC TrustCenter GmbH. “This project benefits from our many years of experience in the area of device authentication, especially when dealing with mass roll-outs. We are proud that this expertise has convinced CI Plus LLP to engage in a multi-year partnership with TC TrustCenter.”