News & Press

The Trusted Partner Network (TPN), the Motion Picture Association’s (MPA) global content security initiative, today announced the upcoming launch of its next-generation Shield tier system, scheduled for early September 2025. The new system is designed to increase transparency, elevate security standards, and drive continuous improvement for content security across the media and entertainment supply chain.

The new Shield model introduces two new tiers, Silver and Gold Star, which build on the legacy of the Classic Gold Shield by recognizing a Service Provider’s completion and TPN’s validation of security gaps identified during the TPN assessment process. The newly unveiled next-gen tiers—Blue, Silver, Gold, and Gold Star—replace the legacy classic Blue and Gold Shield designations. This new system goes into effect with the TPN+ release of  the v5.3.1 TPN questionnaires and assessments, in which each Shield tier is prominently displayed in the TPN+ Registry. All Classic TPN Gold Shields will remain valid until their expiration dates.

The four-tier system reflects a Service Provider’s current security status:

• Blue Shield – Self-assessment completed and published
• Silver Shield – Assessment completed, remediation plan submitted (formerly Classic Gold)
• Gold Shield – All Best Practice remediation items completed and validated by TPN
• Gold Star Shield – All Best Practice and Additional Recommendations completed and validated by TPN

“The new Shield structure gives Content Owners clearer visibility into the security readiness and remediation progress of vendors and partners—essential in today’s evolving threat landscape,” said Terri Davies, President of TPN. “This update is a pivotal step forward for content security and builds on the value TPN provides for its members.”

The new framework is already drawing positive feedback from leaders of TPN’s member studios. One major studio executive noted that the new TPN Shield tiers provide them faster, clearer insight into vendor security, enhancing the efficiency of their review process.

Key benefits of the next-gen Shield tiers include:

• Increased transparency of remediation progress
• Faster, more informed decision-making for content owners
• Scalable recognition of security maturity
• Incentivized continuous improvement
• Better alignment with evolving global threats

This update underscores TPN’s commitment to raising the bar for content security and reinforcing trust throughout the production and distribution ecosystem.

To learn more about the new Shield tiers and the updated TPN+ Platform, visit www.ttpn.org.