Security framework for HTTP streaming architecture

A system for authenticating a client player application that requests streaming content from a content delivery system having one or more servers, comprising:

• at least one of one or more servers that receives a request from a client player application for streaming content;
• the one or more servers comprising at least one processor and a memory storing instructions that, when executed, configure the one or more servers to send at least one portion of the streaming content to the client player application and to send a program to the client player application that is embedded in the at least one portion of the streaming content and comprises one or more computer-readable instructions for execution by the client player application;
• the one or more computer-readable instructions in the program, when executed by the client player application, causing the client player application to send information identifying the client player application to at least one of the one or more servers;
• the one or more servers further configured by the executed instructions to receive the information identifying the client player application and to determine whether the client player application is recognized as an authentic client, based at least in part on the content of the information identifying the client player application that was sent because of the embedded program's one or more computer-readable instructions.