Over the last couple of days a small furore has erupted over allegations a News Corp subsidiary, NDS, has been hacking the pay-TV smartcards of News Corp’s competitors, and even News Corp’s own companies – allegations that NDS vigorously denies.

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I’m not going to speculate on the reasons why a supplier of Conditional Access Systems – the technology that allows paid-TV providers to restrict access to their broadcasts – would want to undermine the security of their own product; but I am going to discuss how such systems work, and how secure they are.

A Conditional Access Module (CAM) is a combination of encryption keys, smartcards and electronics and computer code inside a satellite or cable-TV receiver (or “decoder”).

The pay-TV provider encrypts the digital signal sent to the subscriber with an encryption key. The subscriber plugs a smartcard into his/her decoder, which decrypts the signal so programs and films can be displayed on the screen. Some decoders have the smartcard built-in already, so there is no external slot.

The smartcard is a plastic card with a chip - much like a modern credit card. You can see electrical contacts on the chip. When the card is inserted, the chip is plugged into the decoder, allowing the CAM to get the decryption key. Other information is also stored on the chip – subscriber ID, subscription details, billing details, censorship filters and so on.

We don’t really know what’s there unless we hack into the chip, because it’s all kept secret. Each chip will have it’s own non-volatile memory (requires no battery), computer programs and a small central processing unit (CPU).

The security of the system depends on a few things:

• secrecy of the encryption algorithm
• secrecy of the keys
• secrecy of the hardware.

So let’s start with the algorithm. An algorithm is a recipe for doing something – in this case, for scrambling and descrambling the digital signal.

Some CAM providers write their own algorithm, and depend on it remaining a secret. That’s a bit like hiding your door key inside a brick or under a flower pot – once the secret (that the key is in the brick) is discovered, you have no security. DVD security works this way.

A much better approach is to keep the key with you (a secret key). Everybody knows how your door security works (you put the right key in the lock and turn), but that only works if you have the key. If your lock (algorithm) is faulty, you’ll find out quickly enough and replace the lock. Of course, Pay-TV subscribers would have to remember the key, and have to enter it into their decoder - very inconvenient, but very safe.

Foxtel uses Irdeto 5 CAMs. These use 3DES encryption - a reasonably complex encryption algorithm that’s difficult to crack without employing lots of supercomputers. 3DES is a known algorithm - it has been tested for years and, if implemented correctly, will be safe.

And the security of the decryption key? That’s stored on the chip in the smartcard. Not so good. Just like hiding it inside a (very thin) brick. 3DES is a symmetric-key algorithm, which means you use the same key to encrypt and decrypt. If hackers can open up the card and get to the key, they can extract the key and use it to make cloned cards.

This leads us to the secrecy of the hardware. Four years ago, Wired magazine posted a YouTube video (see below) showing Chris Tarnovsky demonstrating how to extract the chip from a smartcard, and access the electrical signals.

Reprogramming the card to display its stored data (including the decryption key) is the next step. Modern cards are better, but the techniques for getting into them are also better.

It’s not even necessary to open up the card. Many digital TV watchers use techniques such as card sharing or internet key sharing to spread the cost of a Pay-TV subscription among tens or hundreds of people.

And you can buy blank smartcards online from places such as Alibaba.com for a few cents each. There are also dedicated forums online to help would-be criminals access satellite TV and Pay-TV without a subscription.

Just Google terms such asIrdeto 5 hacks, Sat Universe and MOSC (Modified Original Smart Card).

So just as with modding Xboxes (circumventing the built-in security mechanisms of the Xbox and Xbox 360 videogame consoles), rooting Android (gaining “superuser” permissions to your Android device’s software) and jailbreaking iPhones (gaining root access to Apple’s operating system), pay-TV piracy/hacking is happening now.

The information is out there and is easy to access. Of course, anyone attempting to use the information has to be technically capable and adventurous.

Is it being done on an industrial scale? Perhaps in places such as China or South America. A lot of the hardware which enables or supports unlawful access to IT systems (e.g. ATM card skimming – the illegal copying of information from the magnetic strip of a credit or ATM card) appears to be coming from those regions.

The Chinese government is trying to stop hacking and the systems which support it. My opinion is that the skills required (to hack these smartcards) are beyond most wannabe pirates and hackers.

Besides, it’s much easier just to install the peer-to-peer file-sharing protocol BitTorrent and download any program or film you want.

All-Asian Satellite Television and Radio Operator (or better known as Astro) is a Malaysian direct broadcast satellite (DBS) Pay TV service. It transmits digital satellite television and radio to households in Malaysia and Brunei and has operations at the All Asia Broadcast Centre located in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur and MEASAT in Cyberjaya. Astro was granted an exclusive license as a sole Pay TV provider by the Malaysia federal government until 2017. It competes with HyppTV, a IPTV service by Telekom Malaysia (TM). As of September 2014, Astro has provided services to over four million subscribers.^[3]

Astro is a wholly owned subsidiary of Astro All Asia Networks plc. and operated by MEASAT Broadcast Network Systems Sdn. Bhd.

Astro launched the first High Definition (HD) broadcast in Malaysia in December 2009 under the brand Astro B.yond. Following the launch of HD, Astro B.yond PVR (Personal Video Recorder) was introduced in June 2010 and Astro B.yond IPTV in April 2011 followed by Over-The-Top service, Astro on the Go in 2012.

On 18 February 2012, Astro introduced NJOI as an entry-level DTH satellite TV service. It is the first non-subscription-based satellite TV. As of February 2015, NJOI has 24 SDTV channels, 5 HDTV channels and all radio channels.^[4]

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• 1Services
• 2Current channels in other countries
• 3Service and technical information

Services[edit]

On 29 September 1996, Astro was officially formerly known as 'Philips ASTRO'. It was officially launched by the digital video broadcasting – satellite form of the family variety light entertainment programme translated into Malay (Malaysian) on Astro Ria, Cantonese on Astro Wah Lai Toi and Tamil on Astro Vaanavil.

Astro B.yond[edit]

ASTRO launched Malaysia's first high-definition television service branded Astro B.yond on 11 December 2009. The roll out of these services is estimated to cost some RM200 million, including marketing and operating costs of approximately RM150 million, over the next financial year, ahead of revenue and earnings from these services.^[5]

Astro B.yond also introduced a Digital Video Recording (DVR) service, available through the Astro B.yond Personal Video Recorder (PVR) and an external hard disk drive connected to the Astro B.yond decoder. The Astro B.yond PVR comes with an inbuilt 500GB hard disk and allows customers to record up to two live programmes at one time, rewind and pause live TV. Recording services is also available through Astro B.yond via a compatible external hard disk drive and activation of the recording service by Astro.^[6]

In April 2011, Astro B.yond introduced its IPTV services through Astro B.yond IPTV a collaboration with TIME dotCom Berhad (TIME) to deliver IPTV. Since December 2010, this provides a wide choice of Astro channels in HD (High-Definition) with personal video recording and video-on-demand services delivered via TIME's 100% fibre broadband. Astro B.yond IPTV will be progressively available in Klang Valley and Penang. At present, Astro B.yond IPTV is available at 60 high-rise condominiums within Mont Kiara, KLCC, Bangsar and Penang.^[7]

The first generation Astro B.yond box is a rebranded Pace plc DS-830NA. The latest and current B.yond set-top-boxes are now manufactured by Samsung.^[8]

Astro IPTV[edit]

Astro IPTV is an Internet Protocol Television service by Astro. Launched on 20 April 2011 as Astro B.yond IPTV, its subscribers were entitled to high definition Astro channels, personal video recording, video-on-demand, high-speed internet, and voice services. Astro’s initial target audiences were residences of high-rise buildings that having difficulty accessing HD and PVR services due to several technical limitations of the centralised dishes installed at building's rooftop. By including HD and PVR services with its IPTV, Astro was able to offer HD services to selected high-rise residences and buildings.^[9] This was made possible by partnering with Time dotCom Bhd and later on Maxis Berhad (April 2013). Astro B.yond IPTV was rebranded to Astro IPTV in February 2014.

Astro NJOI[edit]

Astro NJOI is a Malaysian first free-to-view satellite TV service by Astro. Launched by Government of Malaysia and Astro on 18 February 2012, with 18 TV channels and 19 radio stations.

Currently, NJOI offers 26 SDTV channels, 5 HD channels and 26 radio channels.^[10]

Current channels in other countries[edit]

Service and technical information[edit]

The direct-to-home (DTH), is broadcast as high-power Ku-band transmissions using the transponders of the MEASAT satellite system. Reception of the service signals uses a fixed 65-cm diameter dish antenna. Astro service is currently transmitting from 3 satellites, which are Measat 3, Measat 3a and Measat 3b.

Ku-band signals can be affected by rain attenuation (rain fade), making it susceptible to frequent outages in heavy rainfall areas such as Malaysia, the operators of Astro have employed a tailor-made system to boost power of the satellite delivery system to overcome this problem. The service availability of 99.7%, however, is still a topic of much debate by subscribers.

Initially, the HDMI output on every B.yond boxes is disabled (including Njoi) if the subscriber did not subscribe to HD service. However, later 2014 onwards, HDMI output is now enabled to every customers using B.yond boxes via newly designed firmware with multilingual user-interface.^[11]

Encryption[edit]

Since its launch, Astro transmits programming with encryption to mitigate signal piracy. The receiver (also known as an IRD, or 'integrated receiver-decoder') uses ISO/IEC 7816smart cards which tell the receiver how to decrypt the programming for viewing.

• The first generation of smart cards were used until 2004. The encryption uses the SECA Mediaguard.
• The second generation of smart cards were introduced in 2004 and used until 2008. The encryption uses the improved version of Mediaguard.
• The third generation of smart cards were introduced in 2008. This is the current 'standard issue' smart card. It uses the NDSVideoGuard encryption system.

Currently, Astro uses the enhanced VideoGuard encryption system for B.yond boxes as it features smart card pairing technology, where the smart card are only allowed for the particular set-top-box issued by Astro, and it is no longer interchangeable like the legacy Astro set-top-boxes.

Viewership[edit]

As of February 2015, Astro has provided services to more than 4 million subscribers, which represents more than 50% of Malaysia's television households.^[7]

As of Q4 2016, Astro has 3.4 million pay TV subscribers and 1.6 million NJOI subscribers, making a total of 5 million customers, which represents 71% household penetration.^[12]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^Wall Street Journalhttp://quotes.wsj.com/MY/ASTRO/financials/annual/income-statement. Retrieved 29 April 2017.Missing or empty title= (help)
2. ^ ^abhttp://www.bursamarketplace.com/index.php?ch=ch_themarket&pg=pg_tm_stocksss&ac=2058&sch=ch_stocks_financials
3. ^http://www.themalaymailonline.com/tech-gadgets/article/astro-scores-in-all-major-indicators
4. ^https://www.astro.com.my/njoi
5. ^Astro to launch HDTV services on FridayArchived 13 December 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved on 23 December 2009
6. ^[1]. Retrieved on 23 April 2011
7. ^ ^ab[2]. Retrieved on 23 April 2011
8. ^'Have Trouble With Our Services Help & Support Astro'. support.astro.com.my. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
9. ^[3]. Astro partners with TIME dotcom to roll-out Astro B.yond IPTV services, Greyreview.com, Retrieved 24 September 2014
10. ^Astro.com.my. 'NJOI – Free Satellite TV from Astro'. www.astro.com.my. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
11. ^'Jeff Lee - Why my astro set top box HDMI port output not.. Facebook'. www.facebook.com. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
12. ^'Astro aims to increase household penetration to 75% next year - Business News The Star Online'. www.thestar.com.my. Retrieved 19 February 2017.

External links[edit]