Cybersecurity for Live-Streamed Public Meetings

Prepared by Convene Research and Development

Executive Summary

Beyond technical hardening, the decisive factor in municipal streaming resilience is choreography—who does what, when, and with which fallback. Offices that institutionalize five-minute preflights, short failover drills, and a visible change log experience fewer crises and recover faster when issues occur.

Residents judge security through continuity and clarity: the stream does not go dark, captions and interpretation keep working through failover, and corrected artifacts appear quickly with a brief public note. This paper converts those expectations into testable controls clerks can own.

Live-streamed public meetings broaden access but expand the attack surface. Encoders, streaming platforms, caption engines, interpretation routes, and publishing systems create interdependent risk domains. This paper presents a vendor-neutral framework to reduce cyber risk while preserving accessibility and continuity of government.

We emphasize controls clerks can govern: segmented networks; per-user identity with SSO/MFA; hardened endpoints; moderation for hybrid participation; canonical publication bundles; telemetry and alerts that operators understand; and incident playbooks that protect records integrity while keeping meetings available.

1. Threat Model for Civic Live Streams

Threats cluster into three motives: disruption (DDoS, trolling), appropriation (account takeover, token theft), and manipulation (defacement, fake links, edited clips). The model must acknowledge that clerks operate under fixed calendars and limited staff—controls must be simple, pre-tested, and explainable to non-specialists.

Map the microphone-to-archive chain, then identify single points of failure and correlated risks (e.g., both encoders on the same power strip). For each, specify a graceful-degradation path that preserves public access and accessibility services.

Civic streams are public by design and run on tight staffing. Adversaries range from opportunists (credential stuffing) to organized harassment and DDoS. Failure means not only downtime but reputational harm and disputed records. A practical model organizes risks by layer and keeps accessibility as a design constraint.

Controls aim for graceful degradation: even when components fail, residents should experience continuity, captions, interpretation, and retrievable archives.

Table 1. Threats mapped to AV/civic streaming layers

Layer	Threat	Example	Impact	Control
Capture	Device compromise	Malware on control laptop	Signal loss; injected audio	Hardened endpoint; allow-list; offline profiles
Identity & access	Credential stuffing	Shared admin account reused	Account takeover	SSO + MFA; per-user roles; no shared admins
Transport	DDoS on origin/CDN	Traffic flood during vote	Outage; reputational damage	Dual RTMP; rate limits; LTE path
Content	Zoom-bombing/trolls	Hate speech in call-in	Policy breach; legal exposure	Lobbies; mute-by-default; removal logs
Publication	Link poisoning/defacement	Fake URLs on social	Misinformation; lost trust	Canonical URLs; HTTPS; signed links

2. Governance and Policy Posture

A one-page posture should specify: (1) owners and deputies; (2) change windows; (3) log/record retention; (4) artifact standards (WebVTT, tagged PDF/HTML); (5) failover expectations; and (6) public communications templates. Keeping it short makes it usable at the console.

Governance artifacts (scorecard, change log, corrections page) double as audit evidence and as trust signals during budget cycles.

Cybersecurity is an operating posture. Publish a one-page policy for live meetings that identifies owners, change windows, log retention, and how accessibility persists under failover. Keep governance visible: a monthly scorecard and a quarterly change log for accounts, software, routing, and incidents.

Tie security to access by documenting captioning and interpretation continuity paths through failover scenarios.

3. Network Segmentation and Zero Trust for Chambers

Segment for independence: encoders and control stations on a production VLAN; experiment gear on a lab VLAN; public Wi‑Fi isolated entirely. Prefer allow-lists over blocklists, and treat remote caption/interpretation gateways as controlled egress rather than inbound exposures.

Practice failover to LTE/5G with a standing profile so operators can switch transport in under a minute without novel configuration.

Treat chamber devices as semi-trusted. Place encoders, DSPs, and control PCs on a segmented VLAN with outbound rules limited to required services. Block inbound admin from public networks; require VPN with MFA or a jump host. For remote captioners and interpreters, broker access through gateways rather than exposing devices.

Use default deny for new devices, MAC allow-lists for critical ports, and an isolated LTE/5G failover path for emergency streaming.

Table 2. Chamber network segmentation quick wins

Control	Why	How to Implement	Evidence
Encoder VLAN	Limit blast radius	Dedicated subnet + ACLs	Firewall rules; diagram
Admin isolation	Prevent remote compromise	VPN + MFA; jump host	Access logs
Egress allow-list	Reduce C2 risk	DNS/IP allow-list for platforms	DNS logs
LTE/5G failover	Resilience under DDoS	Portable router on UPS	Drill note

4. Identity, Roles, and Secrets

Least privilege lowers blast radius. Operators should not manage billing; publishers should not alter identity settings. Rotate stream keys on a calendar and on every staffing change; expire access that is not used. Secrets live in a vault with approver workflows, not in spreadsheets or chat history.

Break-glass accounts should be sealed, dual-controlled, and tested quarterly; document the conditions under which they may be used.

Eliminate shared admin logins. Use per-user SSO/MFA and least-privilege roles: operator, publisher, admin, auditor. Rotate stream keys and API tokens on schedule and upon staff changes. Store secrets in a managed vault; prohibit spreadsheets for credentials.

Audit roles monthly; remove stale accounts; document exceptions with a sunset date. Keep a sealed break-glass account with dual control and quarterly test.

Table 3. Role design and rotation cadence

Role	Scope	MFA/SSO	Rotation/Review	Notes
Operator	Start/stop streams; monitor health	Required	Monthly access review	No billing rights
Publisher	Post artifacts; manage links	Required	Quarterly	Captions/records coordination
Admin	Provision roles; set policies	Required	Immediate on staff change	Change window policy applies
Auditor	Read-only logs/metrics	Required	Quarterly	Supports investigations

5. Endpoint and Encoder Hardening

A golden image stabilizes behavior across turnover. Disable consumer sync apps, remove browser extensions, and enforce signed binaries only. For purpose-built encoders, export configuration before updates and maintain a rollback image on removable media.

Keep a minimal offline profile (local scenes, key routes) in case cloud authentication fails during doors-open.

Lock down control laptops and encoders: hardened image, local firewall, disk encryption, and application allow-lists. Disable auto-updates during meeting windows; patch during maintenance with rollback plan. Keep a pre-configured standby encoder on UPS power.

For cloud encoders, restrict access by IP, require MFA for console access, and separate production and testing projects; export configuration snapshots before changes.

Table 4. Encoder and control workstation checklist

Area	Minimum Standard	Verification
System image	Hardened baseline; no personal apps	Golden image doc
Local firewall	Enabled; only required ports open	Config export
Updates	Maintenance-window patching	Change log
Encryption	Full-disk encryption enabled	MDM report
Allow-list	Only signed/approved apps	MDM/EDR policy
Standby unit	Hot or warm spare on UPS	Drill note

6. Platform and CDN Hardening

Treat platform settings as policy, not preference. Enable per-user admin with MFA, restrict token scopes, and require alerts on new admin grants and token creation. Rate-limit chat and comment APIs; for high-salience events, pre-stage simulcast targets and publish the canonical link early.

Formalize your escalation path with providers and keep emergency contacts printed at the console.

Platforms and CDNs are high-value targets. Enforce MFA for admins, limit API tokens, and enable rate limiting and bot defenses. Configure dual destinations (simulcast) when policy allows and rehearse failover. Use signed or tokenized playback for sensitive streams while maintaining public access obligations.

Coordinate DDoS response playbooks and escalation paths with providers and keep contacts printed at the console.

Table 5. Platform/CDN controls and tests

Control	Purpose	Test/Frequency	Owner
MFA + SSO for admins	Reduce account takeover	Quarterly access test	IT/Clerk
Rate limiting/bot filters	Mitigate scripted abuse	Monthly synthetic test	IT
Dual RTMP/simulcast	Failover continuity	Quarterly drill	AV
Signed URLs (as needed)	Protect sensitive streams	Policy review + test	Legal/Comms

7. Content Moderation and Meeting Security

Moderation should be operationalized before gavel-in: a checklist for waiting room, mute/video defaults, screen-share permissions, and profanity filters (where available). Maintain a short decision tree for gray areas with a bias toward continuity and documentation.

Preserve a moderator action log and export transcripts; these become evidence if conduct is challenged.

Hybrid participation invites abuse. Configure waiting rooms, require display names, and set mute/video-off by default until recognized. Publish rules of decorum; enforce consistently. Record moderator actions and preserve logs for accountability.

Coordinate with legal on thresholds for removal when speech approaches protected categories; document decisions and retain evidence.

Table 6. Moderation controls for hybrid participation

Control	Default	Escalation	Recordkeeping
Waiting room	On	Admit in order; monitor	System logs
Mute/video-off	On for entrants	Unmute on recognition	Moderator notes
Name policy	Real or registered	Kick for deception	Entry log
Chat/Q&A	Moderated	Filter links; rate limit	Export transcript

8. Data, Privacy, and Records

The canonical landing page is the truth anchor. Favor stable URLs and redirects over silent file swaps; add checksum hashes for media to prove integrity. Accessibility and security intersect here: remediated artifacts reduce both legal risk and phishing surface (fewer off-domain links).

Add a public corrections page with datestamped notes: what changed, why, and who approved. Clarity shrinks rumor cycles.

Security must preserve records integrity and accessibility. Maintain a canonical meeting page with a linked bundle—recording, captions, transcript, agenda, minutes, translations—served over HTTPS with stable URLs. Keep checksums for media; log who published what and when; run link audits; and maintain a public corrections page.

Minimize personal data collection; set retention schedules; and forbid training third-party models on city data without a data-processing addendum and explicit consent.

Table 7. Publication and records integrity controls

Artifact/Process	Control	Evidence	Retention Cue
Recording	Checksum + canonical URL	Hash log; permalink	Media schedule
Caption/Transcript	Accessible WebVTT/HTML	Validator report	Records policy
Translations	Tiered turnaround; glossary	Glossary log	Policy tiering
Corrections	Dated public notes	Corrections page	Monthly review

9. Monitoring, Detection, and Telemetry

Alert fatigue is the enemy. Tie alarms to plain-language actions (e.g., ‘Switch to LTE profile now’) and keep thresholds conservative for marquee meetings. Centralize logs to an immutable store; practice pulling a 10-minute incident timeline so post-mortems remain lightweight and consistent.

Include link-integrity checks in the pipeline so broken bundles do not create their own PR incident after a successful live event.

Instrument what matters: stream health (bitrate, dropped frames, latency), encoder status, admin actions, authentication events, and publication checks. Centralize logs with immutable retention. Build simple alerts with plain-language actions that operators practice in drills.

During incidents, capture a timeline—symptom, action, effect—and attach it to the meeting record. This improves learning and external accountability.

Table 8. Telemetry sources and alert thresholds

Source	Signal	Threshold	Action
Encoder	Dropped frames/bitrate	>1% for 60s	Switch to standby
CDN/Player	Playback errors	>0.5% viewers	Lower bitrate; failover
Identity	Failed logins	>10/min per IP	Rate limit; challenge
Website	Broken links	Any on bundle	Repair; post note

10. Incident Response and Business Continuity

Write playbooks that prioritize continuity over forensics in the first five minutes: preserve service, post a brief banner, then document and iterate. Tabletop quarterly with a rotating cast (operator, clerk, comms, IT) to keep muscle memory across turnover.

Every playbook ends with records integrity steps: artifact verification, corrections page entry, and partner notification for amplification of the fixed materials.

Plan for three incident classes: disruption (DDoS/platform outage), compromise (account/device), and content abuse. For each, document containment, public messaging, and recovery steps that preserve records integrity. Rehearse quarterly with short tabletop or live-switch drills.

Keep an offline runbook and a printed contact tree at the console. In an incident, time spent searching for plans is lost access for residents.

Table 9. Incident playbooks at a glance

Incident	Containment	Public Message	Recovery
DDoS/outage	Switch to LTE/standby; lower bitrate	Notice with live status	Post archive; note mitigation
Account compromise	Revoke tokens; rotate keys; MFA reset	Acknowledge; confirm containment	Audit actions; reset roles
Zoom-bombing/abuse	Lock meeting; remove actor; pause input	Reaffirm rules; resume orderly	Attach moderator log; review policy

11. Procurement Clauses that Preserve Security and Portability

Procure evidence: require raw test files from bake-offs, exportable logs, and explicit rights to data at exit. Insist on change-control windows that protect marquee meetings and on contractually bound support SLAs for DDoS mitigation and admin compromise.

Portability avoids lock-in: open formats (WebVTT, MP4, tagged PDF/HTML), documented APIs, and no-fee artifact export underpin continuity if vendors or platforms change.

Write contracts to make security measurable and portability guaranteed. Require per-user roles with MFA, exportable logs, API access, open artifact formats, data-protection agreements, and change-control windows. Include surge terms for peak seasons and no-fee data export at exit.

Run a short bake-off using your room audio and packets; blind-score quality and latency; retain raw test files for auditability.

Table 10. Security-focused procurement checklist

Area	Minimum Standard	Evidence	Notes
Identity	SSO + MFA; per-user roles	Access test	No shared admins
Logging	Exportable, immutable logs	Sample export	Retention policy
Formats	WebVTT/SRT; tagged HTML/PDF	Sample artifacts	No proprietary viewers
APIs	Access to metrics/logs	Docs + demo	Automation friendly
Data use	No training on city data	DPA terms	Privacy by design
Change control	No updates during marquee	Contract clause	Stability first

12. Training, Drills, and Culture

Short, frequent drills outperform annual big-bang exercises. Five minutes before doors open: audio check, caption latency glance, standby encoder test, and confirmation that the canonical link is live. Track drill completion as a metric on the monthly scorecard.

Recognition matters—reward fast, well-documented corrections as much as flawless meetings. That norm builds psychological safety and continuous improvement.

Security resilience is cultural. Schedule micro-drills operators can execute before doors open. Cross-train staff to handle standby encoder switching, glossary updates, and link audits. Recognize incident notes and timely corrections.

Publish a one-page security posture for residents and partners. Transparency reduces speculation and aligns expectations during disruptions.

13. Implementation Roadmap

Sequence changes to reduce risk: harden identity and endpoints first; then instrument telemetry; then institutionalize publication and corrections; finally, codify what worked into procurement. Each phase should culminate in a public-facing artifact that residents can see.

Budget narratives should emphasize variance reduction (fewer emergency POs, stable invoices) and staff time returned from rework to resident service.

Phase 1 (0–60 days): lock down identities and endpoints; publish a brief security posture; rehearse LTE/standby failover. Phase 2 (60–120 days): instrument telemetry and alerts, standardize publication bundles, and negotiate procurement clauses. Phase 3 (120–180 days): institutionalize quarterly drills, scorecards, and change logs; expand language access while maintaining security posture.

Table 11. 180-day cybersecurity rollout

Month	Milestone	Owner	Artifact
1	SSO/MFA for admins; rotate secrets	IT/Clerk	Access test; key log
2	Endpoint/encoder hardening; standby	AV/IT	Checklist; drill note
3	Telemetry + alerts; failover drill	AV/IT	Dashboard; drill timeline
4	Publishing bundle + corrections page	Records/Web	Linked bundle page
5	Procurement clauses + bake-off	Clerk/Procurement	Scoring memo
6	Scorecard + change log; partner brief	Clerk/Comms	Monthly scorecard

14. Endnotes

Endnotes should cite the specific accessibility benchmarks and records policies adopted locally. Including links to your scorecard template, glossary cadence, and corrections-page model turns this white paper into a working playbook.

‘Effective communication’ and ‘meaningful access’ are operationalized in widely adopted accessibility guidance; this paper translates those expectations into technical and governance controls.
DDoS and abuse controls must preserve public access and transparency; signed URLs are limited to sensitive hearings with public-interest considerations.
Records integrity requires canonical URLs and transparent corrections; silent swaps undermine trust and complicate audits.

15. Bibliography

Annotate the top items with how you operationalized them (e.g., ‘used to set caption latency threshold at ≤2s’). These one-line notes preserve institutional memory and accelerate onboarding.

Accessibility guidance for captioning and remediated documents (e.g., WCAG).
Public-sector identity and access management patterns (SSO, MFA).
Streaming security and DDoS mitigation practices.
Records-retention schedules for audiovisual content and web publications.

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