Security
How EventSync protects your show. Every connection between the server, your Dashboard and each device is private and verified — and it stays that way on a fully isolated event network with no internet. This page explains the protection in plain terms; the day-to-day setup steps live under The Server Applications.
The short version
- Everything is encrypted. All traffic — content, playback commands, guest data, module interactions — runs over modern encrypted connections (TLS 1.3). Nothing crosses your event network in the clear.
- Every deployment is its own island of trust. Each EventSync server has its own private certificate authority, unique to it. Your devices trust your server and nothing else.
- Devices verify the server on every connection. Once a device has enrolled, it checks the server's identity each time it connects. A stranger's laptop on the same Wi-Fi cannot impersonate your server or join the fleet.
- No cloud during a show. After a one-time first-boot setup, the whole system runs offline. Guest data and content never leave your network.
💡 Who this page is for
Producers and IT teams who need to explain — or sign off on — how EventSync secures a live event. You don't need to configure any of this: the protection is automatic. This page tells you what it does and why it's safe.
A private certificate authority per deployment
On the public web, browsers trust a large shared list of certificate authorities. EventSync deliberately does not work that way. Each EventSync deployment gets its own private root of trust when it's first set up, and that root belongs only to your server.
Your server presents a certificate issued under that private root. Your devices are given that root when they enrol, and from then on they trust only certificates that lead back to it. The practical effect:
- A device will connect to your server and refuse anything else — even another genuine EventSync server belonging to a different show.
- Because the trust list is just your one root (not the whole internet's), there is no third-party certificate authority that could be tricked or compromised into vouching for an impostor.
Each deployment also carries a unique identity that its certificate is bound to, so a device can tell your servers apart from any other deployment and won't be fooled by a look-alike.
Device enrolment — joining the circle of trust
Before an iPad or Android player can connect, it enrols once with your server. Enrolment is the moment a device is admitted to the deployment: it receives what it needs to verify your server on every future connection, and the server records the device as a trusted member of the fleet.
You enrol devices either by entering the server PIN on the device, or — for a whole fleet or an MDM rollout — by sending the enrolment link from the Server window. The step-by-step is under Enrolling devices.
Two operator controls matter for security:
- Seal the fleet after load-in. The Allow device enrolment switch lets you turn enrolment off once every device is on. With it off, no new device can join — a simple, strong control for the show itself.
- Remove a device. If a device is lost or retired you can revoke it from the Device Enrolment panel; it can no longer connect, even though it was trusted before.
🔒 A good habit
Enrol your devices during set-up, confirm they're all connected, then switch Allow device enrolment off for the duration of the show. Turn it back on only if you need to add a device.
First-boot setup and the “couldn't start” message
A brand-new server needs its private certificate set up once, the first time it runs. This happens automatically — the server obtains its certificate from the EventSync licensing service over the internet, then stores it locally and runs offline from then on. A fresh machine self-registers on the free tier, so you don't need a paid licence for this step, only the internet. Full detail is under First-boot setup.
EventSync fails safe: if a never-set-up server can't reach the internet on first launch, it will not start in a reduced or insecure mode — it stops and tells you why. That message now includes a Server ID: a code that uniquely identifies that machine to us.
📇 If a server won't start — send us its Server ID
If the startup message won't clear even with internet, use the popup's Copy details or Email support button and send the Server ID and message to [email protected]. That ID lets us pinpoint your exact server and get you running quickly — no guessing which machine is which.
Backup servers
A backup server can take over if the main server fails. For a device to trust the backup automatically on failover, the backup has to share the main's identity. You establish that once by pairing the backup with the main (a code you generate on the main and enter on the backup — see Advanced). After pairing, a device that fails over to the backup verifies it exactly as it verifies the main, with no interruption and no lowering of security.
What this protects you from
| Risk on an event network | How EventSync handles it |
|---|---|
| Someone eavesdropping on the Wi-Fi/LAN | All connections are encrypted end to end; captured traffic is unreadable. |
| A rogue device or laptop impersonating your server | Devices verify the server against your private root and reject impostors. |
| An unknown device trying to join and receive content | Only enrolled devices are admitted; enrolment can be sealed off during the show. |
| Guest or event data leaving your control | After first-boot setup nothing depends on the cloud — data stays on your network. |
Guest data and privacy
If your show uses guest identity or interactive modules (see Engagement), the guest information collected lives on your EventSync server, on your network — not in a third-party cloud. Guests can be asked for consent, and that choice is honoured in what's kept for analytics. You control retention: guest and event data is cleared by the end-of-event wipe, or whenever you choose. For how to run and export engagement data, see the Engagement page.
💬 Security questions from a client or venue?
If a client's IT or security team needs more detail than this page for a sign-off, email [email protected] — we're happy to walk their team through it directly.