African broadcasters must take a more proactive and coordinated approach to cybersecurity as the rapid adoption of digital platforms, cloud infrastructure, streaming services and artificial intelligence creates new vulnerabilities across the media ecosystem.
This was a key message from industry experts during the Broadcast Media Africa webinar, “Securing the Signal: Cybersecurity Threats and Defence Strategies for Broadcasters,” held on Tuesday, 8 September 2026.
The discussion brought together Joseph Allotey, Head of Technical Production at Channel One TV in Ghana, and Silas Phoshoko, Cybersecurity Analyst at the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), and was moderated by Sivan Pillay, Founder and CEO of 360 Degree South.
The panel highlighted that cybersecurity is no longer simply an IT concern. For broadcasters, a successful attack can compromise broadcast signals, content, revenue, audience trust and, in some circumstances, national security.
A major theme of the discussion was the need to protect content throughout its entire lifecycle — from production and editing through to transmission, distribution and consumption.
Allotey shared practical examples from broadcast operations, including instances where internally produced content was copied from broadcast networks and later appeared on competing platforms. He stressed that broadcasters need tighter controls over who can access, copy and distribute content.
“The integrity of the entire chain is kept,” he emphasised, pointing to the importance of network segmentation, controlled access and sign-off procedures at different stages of production.
He also warned that removable devices and informal methods of transferring broadcast material can introduce malware, ransomware and other security threats into production environments.
For broadcasters operating under significant financial and technical constraints, Phoshoko highlighted several measures that can provide meaningful protection without requiring large-scale investment.
These include strong access controls, encryption, content watermarking and continuous monitoring.
He cautioned that broadcasters often focus heavily on protecting signals in transit but may overlook vulnerabilities in applications and authentication systems.
“Access control is the first one. Now, you need to look into encryption,” Phoshoko said, stressing that application-level security must form part of the overall protection strategy.
The panel also discussed the role of analytics and automated monitoring in identifying unauthorised distribution and detecting where content may be appearing without permission.
The webinar also examined the growing dependence on cloud infrastructure and international technology providers.
While cloud services can improve accessibility, scalability and user experience, the speakers warned that broadcasters can lose some control when critical content and systems are hosted outside their own countries.
The panel therefore called for greater investment in local cloud, data and digital infrastructure, alongside appropriate cybersecurity capabilities.
Allotey argued that African broadcasters and governments need to consider digital infrastructure as part of a broader national security framework, particularly where broadcast systems can distribute information to large populations.
The discussion also highlighted the need to develop more African technical expertise in areas such as cybersecurity, cloud engineering and software development.
As a practical takeaway, Allotey urged broadcasters to plan their cybersecurity architecture carefully and separate corporate networks from broadcast networks, ensuring that access to critical broadcast systems is tightly controlled.
The panel also encouraged broadcasters to examine their existing infrastructure, strengthen access controls, implement encryption and watermarking, monitor content distribution and prepare for AI-enabled threats.
The webinar concluded with a clear message for the African broadcasting industry: protect the signal, protect the system and protect the trust of the audience.
Speaking after the session, Broadcast Media Africa noted that cybersecurity is an increasingly important strategic issue for the continent’s media industry, with further conversations needed on affordable protection frameworks, local infrastructure, regulation, and industry-wide cooperation.
