## Principles Seminar v0

**Session 3 - Security**

Oskar, 2018-10-10

---

## III. Security

> We don't compromise on security when building features. We use state-of-the-art technologies, and research new security methods and technologies to make strong security guarantees.

---

## Information security

*practice of preventing unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, inspection, recording or destruction of information.* (Wikipedia)

---

## Examples

- Private keys and transactions
- End to end encrypted chat
- Darkness (see who is talking to who)
- Cluster uptime

---

## Compromised security?

- Trivial: Can't restore your account (private keys)
- Subtle: Forward secrecy, either you have or don't
- We are responsible for secure defaults

---

## State-of-the-art technologies

- 'Obvious' choices for experts in field
- Chat: Double Ratchet and PFS
- Hardware wallet
- Reproducible builds

---

## Basic security hygiene

- Ex: no password re-use
- Ex: 2FA (without phone recovery)
- Security and privacy week after Prague

---

## Tool: Threat modeling 101

- Pretend to be attacker and follow logic
- Example: House with jewelry (high reward) and open back door (vulnerable) and thief (relevant attack).

---

## Research new security methods

- Magic and crazy
- Be top 1-10% of tech orgs for attention
- Might seem unusual or crazy to some of you

---

## Example research

- Zero knowledge proofs for private transactions
- Darkness, quantum secure, multiparty computation, formal methods...

---

## Tool: Security guarantees

- This might seem hard (it is)
- But you can ask questions and learn!
- Explicit about guarantees
- Simple user stories

---

## Example: E2EE chat

- As a user, I don't want anyone but the person I'm talking to to see my conversations.

- Forward secrecy: If my private key gets compromised another person can't read my historical conversations.

---

## Example: Private transactions and darkness

- As a user, I don't want someone to know who I am talking to except the person I'm talking to.

- As a user, I don't want anyone but recipient to know that I transferred money to them.

---

## (security, inclusivity)

- How do we ensure a secure user experience while being user friendly?

- How do we ensure we provide utility for people and aren't paralyzed by extreme threat models?
E.g. lack of private tx !=> only focus on chat.

- How can we work iteratively on security and communicate clearly what guarantees we make and can't make right now?

---

## Pairing and wall of shame

Up to you.

- Idea Generator 1: List pairings and think about positive and negative interactions.

- Idea Generator 2: Think like adversary - how can Status be attacked?

---

## Thanks