Irdeto, the digital media security provider, is announcing this morning that Netflix has licensed the company's Cloakware Embedded Security software as part of its solution to secure content streamed to multiple consumer devices. Cloakware is a set of tools to defend against unauthorized tampering and attacks. Irdeto has a broad customer base internationally and has lately been raising its profile in the U.S.
For Netflix, the push for enhanced security comes as the company begins expanding to additional CE devices beyond the desktop for its hugely popular Watch Instantly streaming feature. The iPad is the first new device Netflix has targeted, and its app is considered one of the most widely downloaded in the iPad's first weeks on the market. No doubt this success will spawn further Netflix Watch Instantly implementations, particularly as competing tablets come on the market in 2010 and smartphones proliferate, especially those powered by Android.