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Christopher Allen Profile picture
@ChristopherA
May 18 • 12 tweets • 5 min read Twitter logo Read on Twitter
One of my concerns with the new @Ledger Recover service is that they appears to be sharding via Shamir’s Secret Sharing, but doing so in a proprietary way and possibly in a naive fashion. We don’t know, as it is not open source. [1/11]
Obviously, Shamir’s Secret Sharing has a long history and is widely used, but it also has real drawbacks. As we’ve written at @BlockchainComns, one of the biggest dangers comes in reconstruction. [2/11] github.com/BlockchainComm…
Eavesdropping, trojan-horsing, or just faking authentication for the seed holder can all lead to a stolen seed! The process of restoring the shares, reconstruction device is a serious single point of compromise. And then there are concerns with how you distribute shares! [3/11]
Casa’s Jameson @lopp has written even more about a whole slew of other dangers. [4/11] blog.keys.casa/shamirs-secret…
As with concerns over the ability for a seed to leave a Ledger, this is a problem that isn’t focused just on Ledger. It just exposes a larger problem in the world of resilience of digital assets. [5/11]
There are ways to mitigate problems with Shamir, such as using a multsig and then using Shamir to protect some of the keys. Even if your reconstruction is attacked, that’s just one key! For instance see this scenario: [6/11] github.com/BlockchainComm…
The SSKR library at @BlockchainComns also supports multilevel sharding, which can offset some concerns about who you give shares to [7/11] github.com/BlockchainComm…
Our “Design of SSKR Scenarios” doc talks more about distribution strategies, but even with good sharding strategies, Shamir’s Secret Sharing can still be fraught with problems. [8/11] github.com/BlockchainComm…
Fundamentally, Shamir’s Secret Sharing isn’t bad, but it has definite limitations and concerns that must be mitigated. We’d love to see more discussion of that in projects like our CSR & Ledger Recover (and more usage of those mitigation strategies).[9/11] github.com/BlockchainComm…
Managing #SmartCustody so that digital assets remain safe is one of the major initiatives at @BlockchainComns. [10/11] smartcustody.com/index.html#the…
Support SSKR, multilevel secret-sharing, and other #SmartCustody initiatives by becoming a Blockchain Commons patron. Even $20 a month from individuals is helpful to demonstrate support so that we can get others to fund our work. [11/11] github.com/sponsors/Block…
A related thread on Shamir vs multisig, and why the open source work toward Collaborative Seed Recovery (aka CSR) by the wallet devs that are part of the Gordian Wallet Community is important:

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More from @ChristopherA

Christopher Allen Profile picture
May 18
At @BlockchainComns we believe that multisig offers superior #SmartCustody over using Shamir's Secret Sharing (which was recently implemented as part of @Ledger Recover). Unfortunately, there are few practical alternatives to sharding a seed, and multisig is complex. 🧵… [1/13]
The first obstacle to multisig is that our experience is that they are too complex for normal usage. We know that even professionals using one of our well-tested secure scenarios find the hour it takes is too long. [2/13] github.com/BlockchainComm…
The second obstacle is that true multisig really is available only for Bitcoin. There are multi-account smart contracts that resemble cryptographic multisig, but they don't offer the same level of hardware security, and each transaction costs gas. [3/13] shivanisb10.medium.com/multisig-contr…
Read 13 tweets
Christopher Allen Profile picture
May 18
Perhaps my biggest problems with the @Ledger Recover program as it’s currently conceived are that it’s not open and it’s not independent. Users will be locked into decisions that Ledger made, for its own business reasons. [1/12]
The Gordian Principles from @BlockchainComns suggest that digital assets should be held in a way that’s independent, private, resilient, and open. Ledger Recover increases resilience, but that’s it. [2/12] github.com/BlockchainComm…
From what we’re heard, the Recover share holders will actually be requiring KYC checks. That doesn’t just go across our Principles, but also the general ethos of Bitcoin! [3/12]
Read 13 tweets
Christopher Allen Profile picture
May 18
There's been a lot of controversy over @Ledger's new recovery service, which will shard your seed out to third-parties for storage. Why? In large part because we didn't expect seeds to ever leave the Ledger device. [1/11]
As it turns out (as all hardware wallet designers already know), all it requires is a signed firmware update, and seeds can go wherever they want. Why?… [2/11]
Ledger's hardware *is* based on a Secure Enclave (aka "SE"). That's is what generates and stores your private keys. [3/11] ledger.com/academy/securi…
Read 14 tweets
Christopher Allen Profile picture
Aug 12, 2022
Today my article on the need to protect private keys from courts was published by @BitcoinMagazine. This may be the most important legal advocacy work @BlockchainComns has ever done! [1/10] bitcoinmagazine.com/legal/saving-b…
The problem is that prosecutors & lawyers are asking courts to demand private keys as part of pre-trial discovery. This is wrong on so many levels! [2/10]
The most frustrating thing is that a private key is that they are the wrong tool for discovery. If there was a legitimate need for discovery, a public key could do the job. Private keys are about the authority to control, not information. [3/10]
Read 10 tweets
Christopher Allen Profile picture
Sep 8, 2021
SSKR stands for Sharded Secret Key Reconstruction. It's a way for users to easily shard a cryptographic secret, giving you some options for seed reconstructions & and improved resilience against theft or loss. [1/15] Image
Why? Because loss of a seed or private key is the easiest way to lose your Bitcoin or other cryptocurrency. SSKR safely backs up your seed by breaking it into shares which are only useful if combined back together. For details see our overview doc: [2/15] github.com/BlockchainComm…
Our Gordian Seed Tool app for iOS and macOS offers a reference demonstration of this sharding functionality, but we expect wallet manufacturers to soon be incorporating SSKRs as well. [3/15] apps.apple.com/us/app/gordian…
Read 15 tweets
Christopher Allen Profile picture
Aug 24, 2021
Puzzling through if NFTs can be used to help fund trustless self-sovereign identity efforts, and open infrastructure tools & services. First experiment: opensea.io/assets/0x495f9…
I'll try an auction tonight when the gas fees are lower, with the auction scheduled to end next week.
If you are an artist that wants to support my efforts toward trustless forms of Self-Sovereign Identity (aka #SSI), we welcome a donation of original artwork to try out this experimental funding method for open development.
Read 4 tweets

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