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I assume the way most embedded devices guarantee security for their limited number of use cases -- pre-seed trusted root keys in hardware + validate signing aga
by ethbro 8y ago
I assume the way most embedded devices guarantee security for their limited number of use cases -- pre-seed trusted root keys in hardware + validate signing against them when connecting.
My point was that app-layer security magic doesn't mean much if your first network step is "connect to closest, highest power base station and implicitly trust it."
There are wonderful things we can do on top of lower layer protocols, but the lower layers are pretty damn important too.
- mikeash 8y agoThat’s how, for example, TLS works too. I don’t understand what you mean when you say that app-level security doesn’t mean much if your first network step is compromised. TLS will protect you there, as will any other decently implemented end-to-end encrypted protocol.
- ethbro 8y agoTLS has the benefit of a world-wide PKI built around it to attest to authentication. I was trying to note the risks to PKI-less / web of trust participants, and should have called that out explicitly. Mostly because I'd much rather live in an encrypted world where WoT is the dominant mode, vs corporate-controlled PKI. And the biggest risks there seems like the step no one can get around in ordinary use.