MPA's TPN STAR Report Finds Systemic Security Failures in Entertainment Supply Chain

Executive Summary

The inaugural TPN STAR Report from the Motion Picture Association's (MPA) Trusted Partner Network (TPN) has identified a critical disconnect between security policy and practice within the entertainment industry's supply chain. The report, which analyzes security assessment data across the industry, concludes that inconsistent implementation of fundamental security controls is creating systemic risks. Despite having policies in place, many organizations are failing to consistently enforce controls like multi-factor authentication and vulnerability remediation. This has led to a dramatic increase in security incidents, with more TPN Security Alerts issued in the first quarter of 2026 than in the entirety of 2025, primarily driven by the exploitation of compromised credentials. The report serves as a stark warning, urging the industry to prioritize continuous monitoring and stronger identity and access management across its vast network of third-party vendors.

Policy Details

The TPN STAR Report is an industry study, not a regulation. It provides data-driven insights into the state of cybersecurity within the media and entertainment supply chain. Its key findings are:

• Policy vs. Practice Gap: Most vendors have security policies, but fail to execute them consistently. This gap between written rules and technical enforcement is the primary source of risk.
• Failure of Basic Controls: The most common control failures are related to identity and access management (inconsistent MFA) and vulnerability management (un-remediated flaws).
• Increased Attack Frequency: Credential-based attacks, misconfigurations, and exploitation of known vulnerabilities are surging, indicating that attackers are successfully targeting these basic control failures.
• Third-Party Risk: The highly distributed nature of modern content production, which relies on numerous third-party vendors and cloud platforms, amplifies the risk. A single compromised credential at a small vendor can lead to a major content leak.

Affected Organizations

The findings apply to the entire entertainment industry ecosystem, including:

• Major Studios: The ultimate owners of the intellectual property at risk.
• Production and Post-Production Houses: Companies that handle filming, editing, and visual effects.
• Visual Effects (VFX) Vendors: Often small, specialized shops that are granted access to sensitive pre-release content.
• Marketing and Distribution Partners: Companies involved in promoting and delivering the final content.
• Cloud Service Providers: The underlying infrastructure on which much of the production pipeline runs.

Compliance Requirements

The TPN provides a set of best-practice security guidelines that vendors are assessed against. While not legally binding, compliance with the TPN program is often a contractual requirement for vendors wishing to work with major studios. The report's findings will likely lead to stricter enforcement of these TPN requirements, with a focus on:

• Mandatory MFA: Requiring MFA on all remote access and cloud services.
• Stricter Patching SLAs: Enforcing shorter timelines for remediating critical and high-severity vulnerabilities.
• Continuous Monitoring: Requiring vendors to demonstrate that they are continuously monitoring their environments for misconfigurations and threats.

Impact Assessment

• Intellectual Property Theft: The primary risk is the theft of high-value, pre-release content (films, TV series), which can then be pirated, leading to massive revenue loss.
• Ransomware and Disruption: The same security gaps that allow for content theft can be exploited by ransomware groups, disrupting production schedules and leading to costly downtime.
• Reputational Damage: A major leak can damage a studio's reputation and strain relationships with production partners and talent.
• Supply Chain Compromise: An attacker who compromises one vendor can potentially use that access to pivot and attack other parts of the supply chain, including the studio itself.

Compliance Guidance

Based on the report, entertainment industry organizations and their vendors should:

1. Prioritize Identity Security: Move beyond simple passwords. Implement and enforce phishing-resistant Multi-factor Authentication (D3-MFA) everywhere.
2. Automate Vulnerability Management: Implement a robust vulnerability scanning and patch management program. Prioritize the remediation of internet-facing vulnerabilities and use risk-based metrics to guide efforts. This aligns with Software Update (D3-SU).
3. Vendor Risk Management: Studios must enhance their third-party risk management programs. This includes not just initial assessments but continuous monitoring of vendors' security posture.
4. Adopt a Zero Trust Mindset: Do not automatically trust any user or device, regardless of its location. Enforce least-privilege access and use Network Segmentation (M1030) to limit the blast radius of a potential breach at a third-party vendor.