Behind the Scenes: How the Film Industry Is Dealing with Cyber Risks
Where many stakeholders, digital tools, and sensitive content come together, new attack surfaces emerge. At the Cyber AI / Expo, Eric Lehmann, CTO of Constantin Film, will explain why cybersecurity is becoming a strategic priority for the film industry.
Film productions may appear glamorous and creative from the outside, but behind the scenes they are now highly digitalized – and therefore increasingly vulnerable. From screenplays, rough cuts, and post-production to marketing materials and international distribution, many sensitive processes run through connected systems, platforms, and data streams. In his keynote “Behind the Scenes: Cyber Risks in Film Production & Distribution” at the Cyber AI / Expo, Eric Lehmann, CTO of Constantin Film, will examine the cyber risks that arise in this environment – and how Constantin Film is addressing them.
What may sound like a traditional IT issue in fact reaches deep into the creative core of the industry. Films are rarely made in closed environments. Instead, they are created within complex networks involving writers, freelancers, production partners, post-production houses, and many other contributors who work on a project basis, often across very different systems. It is precisely this openness that makes the industry vulnerable. The more flexible and decentralized the process, the harder it becomes to reliably protect content, communications, and sensitive data.
This is especially critical in the early stages of production. Where ideas are developed, stories take shape, and first drafts are exchanged, workflows are often less standardized than they are later in distribution. There is also a tension that defines the industry: security is often perceived as a constraint on the creative process. Limiting communication channels, prescribing tools, or tightening technical rules directly affects collaboration. That is exactly the challenge. Security standards must be strong enough to protect productions effectively, but they must not bring the creative process to a halt. And because every production begins with new teams, new requirements, and new workflows, this balance has to be found again and again.
The rise of artificial intelligence adds another layer. AI can accelerate creative and operational processes, but it also creates new uncertainties. As soon as scripts, concepts, or ideas are processed with external AI tools, fundamental questions arise: which systems have these contents already entered? Were they used for training purposes? Are copyright issues involved? And how can it still be traced which tools were used? In this way, cybersecurity in the film industry is increasingly becoming a matter of compliance, legal certainty, and trust.
The risks become even more visible when it comes to deepfakes and AI-driven manipulation. An industry built around well-known faces, recognizable voices, and high-profile content is especially exposed. Today, materials can be altered convincingly, taken out of context, or recomposed in new forms. For media companies, this means the issue is no longer only the protection of internal systems, but also the integrity of published content.
In an industry defined by openness, speed, and collaboration, security is therefore becoming a strategic requirement for the future. Constantin Film is investing specifically in in-house expertise, its own hardware, and structures designed to reduce dependence on individual providers. The goal is to build creative and operational processes that can adapt flexibly to new technological developments — without losing control over sensitive content. In his talk at the Cyber / AI Expo, Eric Lehmann will explain how this can be achieved.
Keynote at the Cyber AI / Expo MAIN STAGE
Eric Lehmann, CTO at Constantin Film
“Behind the Scenes: Cyber Risks in Film Production & Distribution”