I.e since every part is implementable in a (Turing full) CPU then how does it matter whether or not a Safe Aspect has help for Bitcoin’s cryptographic primitives – apart from making signing and decryption sooner.
Firstly I feel that is barely a false impression, it is very important be capable to do ECC operations effectively which is why a theoretical Safe Aspect (SE) with these capabilities would have to be environment friendly. Nevertheless the purpose of them is to not compete with the effectivity of say a desktop processor, the purpose is to have a verifiably right and discrete processor that’s environment friendly sufficient do do the operations on a small system.
Would a tool with a generic CPU the place the software program cannot be modified (with out dropping the secrets and techniques as nicely) with safety towards bodily assaults already be “the dream {hardware} pockets” which does not help key export it doesn’t matter what?
I’m not certain that good playing cards match this description completely, they retailer data and require bodily interplay to launch secrets and techniques however are usually not made for generic CPU processing if that’s what you might be suggesting.
I wish to make clear I’m definitely not an knowledgeable on this matter however from what I’ve researched the explanation a wise card (SC) isn’t safer than a SE is since you are inable to safe personal key operations on the SC, you’ll be able to solely use it to retailer the personal knowledge. The SE having the potential for secp256k1 (which apparently none do atm) would will let you do signing fully airgapped out of your doubtlessly weak or already exploited private laptop system or native laptop community. That being mentioned there are non-secp256k1 associated personal operations that may be completed on the SE, which within the case of an SC would have to be carried out in your private laptop system which is an elevated assault floor.
Ledger as an illustration claims that they use the SE to generate personal keys:
Safe Aspect Chip Protects Your Ledger From Assaults
A Safe Aspect is a extremely superior chip that mitigates a whole lot of various kinds of assaults. This cutting-edge chip, which is utilized in high-level safety options, actually units Ledger aside as a top-end safety answer for crypto belongings. All of our gadgets use a Safe Aspect, which significantly enhances their safety. Ledger makes use of them to generate and retailer personal keys on your crypto belongings.
I don’t advocate utilizing ledger in mild of their current press releases nonetheless that is an instance of how a SE may be used.
Blockstream Jade adopts a unique safety mannequin not based mostly on SE which you will discover to be related:
As a substitute of a safe component, Blockstream Jade makes use of a singular safety mannequin that permits it to stay absolutely open-source whereas additionally being shielded from bodily assaults and attaining related (if not higher) safety from this potential risk – by performing as a “digital” safe component.
The blind oracle mannequin that Jade makes use of is absolutely open supply, and is actually blind. It is aware of nothing about Jade pockets knowledge, and would not even know the person’s precise PIN. Customers might use Blockstream’s blind oracle to guard their pockets, or they might run their very own.
From what I can surmise, an SE may be helpful for sure personal operations equivalent to producing a key nonetheless it doesn’t shut the assault floor fully. An SC as a result of it can’t do any personal operations is a extra open assault floor as a result of it delegates personal operations to any laptop system you plug it into. An open supply blind oracle mannequin could also be an efficient strategy to lower the assault floor when utilizing a SC or {hardware} with an identical safety mannequin equivalent to I consider Jade may fall into. Nevertheless since all SEs thus far are closed supply it is probably not a viable choice for SE based mostly wallets to implement blind oracles to guard personal key operations but.
