Your PRO as a Security Partner: A Songwriter's Guide to Fighting Scams

Your PRO as a Security Partner: A Songwriter's Guide to Fighting Scams

By Russell Nomer, CISSP | July 30, 2025

In my day job, I live in the world of cybersecurity. As a CISSP, I deal with threat actors, vulnerabilities, and risk mitigation. At night, I’m a songwriter, living in the world of melody, harmony, and storytelling. Over the years, I’ve realized these two worlds are much more similar than you’d think. Both are ecosystems built on trust, and both are filled with bad actors trying to exploit it.

After my last posts on spotting and reporting scams, a critical question came up: Where do our Performing Rights Organizations (PROs) like ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC fit into our personal security plan? Are they a shield, a sword, or just a bystander?

As a security professional, I see PROs as a specialized—and essential—partner in our defense. But to use any partner effectively, we have to understand their specific role and limitations.

Your PRO as a Threat Intelligence Service

The most powerful tool in any security arsenal is information. This is the primary way your PRO helps you fight back against the broader world of scams. Think of them as your own private threat intelligence agency. They constantly monitor the landscape and provide you with advisories to help you patch your own vulnerabilities.

This "threat intelligence" comes in several forms:

• Security Bulletins (Blog Posts & Articles): Your PRO regularly publishes articles detailing the latest "attack vectors"—the anatomy of a playlist scam, the red flags of a fake A&R offer, etc. Reading these is like getting the latest security patch for your brain.

• Signature-Based Detection (Red Flag Checklists): Just like antivirus software looks for the "signature" of a known virus, your PRO provides checklists of red flags to watch for. Being asked for money upfront for an opportunity is a key signature of malicious activity.

• Secure Protocols (Best Practices): Your PRO explains how legitimate industry processes are supposed to work. When you understand the secure protocol, you can instantly recognize a fraudulent deviation.

Direct Action: When Your PRO Engages Its Defense Systems

While much of their role is educational, there are two critical situations where your PRO moves from being an intelligence service to an active defense system.

1. Impersonation and Phishing Attacks: If a scammer contacts you pretending to be an "ASCAP representative" or a "BMI agent" to solicit a fee, this is a direct attack on a trusted entity. It's the music industry equivalent of a phishing email trying to impersonate your bank. PROs take this extremely seriously. Report these impersonators to your PRO immediately through official channels. They will use their resources to shut them down to protect the integrity of their own "secure network."

2. Protecting Data Integrity (Royalty & Copyright Disputes): This is your PRO's core function. If a scammer or a bad actor fraudulently adds their name to your song in the PRO's database, they are attempting to compromise the "data integrity" of your intellectual property. Your PRO's internal departments act as an access control system. They will investigate conflicting claims and can freeze royalty payouts on a disputed work until the rightful owner is verified.

Understanding the Boundaries: What Your PRO Can't Do

Every security tool has a specific job. You wouldn't use a firewall to catch a real-world thief. Similarly, your PRO's jurisdiction has clear boundaries. They are generally not equipped to:

• Act as your "Incident Response Team" for a third-party breach. They will not hunt down the fake playlist curator who took your $100.

• Serve as your "Financial Recovery Service." They cannot get your money back from a fraudulent PR company.

• Be your personal cybersecurity consultant or lawyer. They can't give you legal advice on contracts or other business dealings.

For these types of external attacks, your PRO will revert to its advisory role, directing you to the proper authorities—the "cyber police" at the FTC and FBI's IC3, or your own attorney.

Conclusion: A Layered Defense

In cybersecurity, we rely on a "layered defense" because no single tool can protect against every threat. Your PRO is a critical layer in your personal security plan, acting as your trusted partner for all things related to performance royalty collection and disputes. They provide the intelligence to help you spot threats and will defend the system they are sworn to protect.

Ultimately, you are the administrator of your own career. By combining your own vigilance with the threat intelligence from your PRO and the enforcement power of official agencies, you build a robust defense that allows you to operate with confidence in an industry full of opportunity and risk. Stay informed, stay vigilant, and stay safe.