I.e since every part is implementable in a (Turing full) CPU then how does it matter whether or not a Safe Factor has help for Bitcoin’s cryptographic primitives – aside from making signing and decryption quicker.
Firstly I feel that is barely a false impression, you will need to be capable to do ECC operations effectively which is why a theoretical Safe Factor (SE) with these capabilities would should be environment friendly. Nonetheless 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 gadget.
Would a tool with a generic CPU the place the software program cannot be modified (with out shedding 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 info and require bodily interplay to launch secrets and techniques however should not made for generic CPU processing if that’s what you might be suggesting.
I need to make clear I’m definitely not an knowledgeable on this subject however from what I’ve researched the explanation a sensible card (SC) just isn’t safer than a SE is since you are inable to safe personal key operations on the SC, you may solely use it to retailer the personal information. The SE having the aptitude for secp256k1 (which apparently none do atm) would permit you to do signing fully airgapped out of your doubtlessly susceptible or already exploited private laptop system or native laptop community. That being mentioned there are non-secp256k1 associated personal operations that may be finished on the SE, which within the case of an SC would should be carried out in your private laptop system which is an elevated assault floor.
Ledger as an example claims that they use the SE to generate personal keys:
Safe Factor Chip Protects Your Ledger From Assaults
A Safe Factor is a extremely superior chip that mitigates a variety 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 property. All of our units use a Safe Factor, which vastly enhances their safety. Ledger makes use of them to generate and retailer personal keys on your crypto property.
I don’t suggest utilizing ledger in mild of their current press releases nevertheless that is an instance of how a SE could be used.
Blockstream Jade adopts a special safety mannequin not based mostly on SE which you will discover to be related:
As a substitute of a safe ingredient, Blockstream Jade makes use of a singular safety mannequin that enables it to stay totally open-source whereas additionally being shielded from bodily assaults and reaching comparable (if not higher) safety from this potential risk – by appearing as a “digital” safe ingredient.
The blind oracle mannequin that Jade makes use of is totally open supply, and is actually blind. It is aware of nothing about Jade pockets information, and does not even know the person’s precise PIN. Customers could use Blockstream’s blind oracle to guard their pockets, or they could run their very own.
From what I can surmise, an SE might be helpful for sure personal operations equivalent to producing a key nevertheless 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 the same safety mannequin equivalent to I imagine Jade may fall into. Nonetheless since all SEs to this point are closed supply it might not be a viable choice for SE based mostly wallets to implement blind oracles to guard personal key operations but.
