System and method to secure the streaming of media to a valid client

1. A method, comprising:

identifying an initialization token that is selected based on a determination that a repeating pattern does not occur by iteratively applying an algorithm to the initialization token over a number of iterations corresponding to a number of portions of a media file;

receiving a request for a portion of the media file including a first authentication key;

generating a string by applying the algorithm to the initialization token;

generating a second authentication key by encrypting the string using an encryption key;

determining whether the first authentication key matches the second authentication key; and

if the first authentication key matches the second authentication key, transmitting the portion of the media file to a location specified by the request.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a second request for a second portion of the media file including a third authentication key;

generating a second string by applying the algorithm to the string;

generating a fourth authentication key by encrypting the second string using the encryption key; and

determining whether the third authentication key matches the fourth authentication key;

if the third authentication key matches the fourth authentication key, transmitting the second portion of the media file.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving a request to play the media file on a client device;

generating the encryption key, the initialization token, and the algorithm;

identifying a link corresponding to the media file; and

transmitting the link corresponding to the media file, the encryption key, the initialization token, and the algorithm to a media player.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the request for the portion of the media file originates from the media player.

5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising binding to localhost, wherein the link to the media file is a localhost path.

6. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

determining the number of portions of the media file based at least in part on a size of the media file and a size of a single portion of the media file; and

determining a length of the initialization token based at least in part on the number of portions, wherein generating the initialization token further comprises generating a random string including a number of characters equal to the length.

7. The method of claim 3 , further comprises:

determining the number of portions of the media file based at least in part on a size of the media file and a size of a single portion of the media file;

iteratively applying the algorithm to a candidate initialization token to generate a plurality of strings;

determining that at least one repeated string occurs in the plurality of strings;

generating the initialization token; and

replacing the candidate initialization token with the initialization token.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request for the portion of the media file is received from a media player through an HTTP request over a socket connection and the first authentication key is included in a header of the HTTP request.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium embodying a program that, when executed by a client computing device, causes the client computing device to at least:

identify an initialization token that is selected based on a determination that a repeating pattern does not occur by iteratively applying an algorithm to the initialization token over a number of iterations corresponding to a number of portions of a media file;

receive a request for a portion of the media file including a first authentication key;

generate a string by applying the algorithm to the initialization token;

generate a second authentication key by encrypting the string using an encryption key;

determine whether the first authentication key matches the second authentication key; and

if the first authentication key matches the second authentication key, transmit the portion of the media file to a location specified by the request.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the program further causes the client computing device to at least:

receive a second request for a second portion of the media file including a third authentication key;

generate a second string by applying the algorithm to the string;

generate a fourth authentication key by encrypting the second string using the encryption key;

determine whether the third authentication key matches the fourth authentication key; and

if the third authentication key matches the fourth authentication key, transmit the second portion of the media file.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the program further causes the client computing device to at least:

receive a request to play the media file on a client device;

generate the encryption key, the initialization token, and the algorithm;

identify a link corresponding to the media file; and

transmit the link corresponding to the media file, the encryption key, the initialization token, and the algorithm to a media player.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the request for the portion of the media file originates from the media player.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the request for the portion of the media file is received from a media player through an HTTP request over a socket connection and the first authentication key is included in a header of the HTTP request.

14. A system, comprising:

memory; and

a client computing device in communication with the memory, the client computing device being configured to at least:

identify an initialization token that is selected based on a determination that a repeating pattern does not occur by iteratively applying an algorithm to the initialization token over a number of iterations corresponding to a number of portions of a media file;

receive a request for a portion of the media file including a first authentication key;

generate a string by applying the algorithm to the initialization token;

generate a second authentication key by encrypting the string using an encryption key;

determine whether the first authentication key matches the second authentication key; and

if the first authentication key matches the second authentication key, transmit the portion of the media file to a location specified by the request.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the client computing device is further configured to at least:

receive a second request for a second portion of the media file including a third authentication key;

generate a second string by applying the algorithm to the string;

generate a fourth authentication key by encrypting the second string using the encryption key;

determine whether the third authentication key matches the fourth authentication key; and

if the third authentication key matches the fourth authentication key, transmit the second portion of the media file.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the request for the portion of the media file is received from a media player through an HTTP request over a socket connection and the first authentication key is included in a header of the HTTP request.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the client computing device is further configured to at least:

if the first authentication key fails to match the second authentication key, close the socket connection to the media player.

18. The system of claim 14 , wherein the client computing device is further configured to at least:

receive a request to play the media file on a client device;

generate the encryption key, the initialization token, and the algorithm;

identify a link corresponding to the media file; and

transmit the link corresponding to the media file, the encryption key, the initialization token, and the algorithm to a media player.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the request for the portion of the media file originates from the media player.

20. The system of claim 14 , wherein the client computing device is further configured to at least:

determine the number of portions of the media file based at least in part on a size of the media file and a size of a single portion of the media file;

determine a length of the initialization token based at least in part on the number of portions; and

generate the initialization token by generating a random string including a number of characters equal to the length.