What Are Hardware Backdoors In Bitcoin?
It is also possible to do significant damage to or even completely destroy the Bitcoin network by corrupting hardware that runs bitcoin software and making it available to other parties. Nodes that conduct mining, for example, might be infected with undetected malware that enables outsiders to take control of the hardware they are running on.
Author:Stefano MclaughlinReviewer:Camilo WoodMar 11, 202273.6K Shares1.2M Views
It is also possible to do significant damage to or even completely destroy the Bitcoin network by corrupting hardware that runs bitcoin software and making it available to other parties. Nodes that conduct mining, for example, might be infected with undetected malware that enables outsiders to take control of the hardware they are running on. After that, when a 51 percent assault is conducted, this equipment might be disabled or operated remotely from a distance. Let's see what are some of the possible hardware backdoors in Bitcoin.
Spying Technology Installed On User Computers
Yet another instance would be the installation of eavesdropping software on users' computers, which would enable access to their bitcoins by gaining access to their private keys. Attacks of this kind on a large scale have the potential to substantially erode investor trust in Bitcoin as an asset and demand for it.
Both sorts of assaults are technically conceivable, and, unlike the previous two types of attacks, they do not need to be completely successful in order to cause enough uncertainty to harm Bitcoin's image and demand in the marketplace. Due to the fact that there are just a few manufacturers of mining equipment, an assault against mining equipment is more likely to succeed, and thus represents one of Bitcoin's most important points of failure.
However, if Bitcoin mining grows in popularity, it is expected to attract many hardware manufacturers to provide its equipment, reducing the catastrophic effect on the network that may result from the compromising of one manufacturer's operations.
Bitcoiners' Anarchist And Cypherpunk Tendencies
Individual machines are less susceptible to this danger than the Bitcoin network as a whole since there is an almost endless number of manufacturers worldwide that produce equipment that is capable of connecting to the Bitcoin network. If a single producer is shown to be compromised, it is probable that customers would move their business to other producers.
Furthermore, users may produce the private keys to their addresses on machines that are not connected to the Internet and will never be connected to the Internet. The extremely paranoid may even produce their addresses and private keys on offline machines, which are then instantly destroyed by the paranoid themselves. These virtual private keys will ensure that coins held on them will withstand any kind of assault on the network.
The anarchist and cypherpunk inclinations of Bitcoiners, which drive them to place a strong emphasis on verification rather than trust, are particularly effective defenses against these types of assaults, and they are particularly crucial. Bitcoiners are, on the whole, significantly more technically literate than the general public, and they are quite conscientious when it comes to inspecting the hardware and software that they make use of. The open source peer review culture also serves as a substantial deterrent against these types of assaults.
It Is The Economic Incentives That Make Bitcoin Valuable, Not The Technology
It is far more likely that such attacks will result in significant costs and losses to individuals, as well as systemic disruptions of the network; however, it will be extremely difficult to bring the network to a complete halt or to completely eliminate demand for Bitcoin due to the distributed nature of the network. However, in actuality, it is the economic incentives associated with Bitcoin that make it valuable, not than any particular piece of hardware or software. Individual pieces of equipment are not required for the functioning of Bitcoin and may be swapped out with more efficient models of the same equipment.
Summary
Nonetheless, if Bitcoin can diversify its hardware suppliers in such a way that none of them becomes systemically significant, it will have a better chance of surviving and thriving.
Stefano Mclaughlin
Author
Camilo Wood
Reviewer
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