@ -20,8 +20,16 @@ By using a chip as your CPU you are, of course, trusting that its manufacturer h
A hardware backdoor or bugdoor can be publicly demonstrated to exist once discovered, and is "perfectly undiscoverable" only if it is never used. Immutable proof of crime or incompetence is in the hands of every customer. Discovery would be catastrophic for the manufacturer, both reputationally and financially. I can easily trust that my hardware manufacturers are existentially terrified of this outcome, even in the face of government pressure. Properly-designed *software* bugdoors, on the other hand, are practically risk-free (especially when designed in coordination with hardware) and cost little to remediate.
A hardware backdoor or bugdoor can be publicly demonstrated to exist once discovered, and is "perfectly undiscoverable" only if it is never used. Immutable proof of crime or incompetence is in the hands of every customer. Discovery would be catastrophic for the manufacturer, both reputationally and financially. I can easily trust that my hardware manufacturers are existentially terrified of this outcome, even in the face of government pressure. Properly-designed *software* bugdoors, on the other hand, are practically risk-free (especially when designed in coordination with hardware) and cost little to remediate.
Trust, but deblobbify.
*Trust, but deblobbify.*
### Related
Debian prefers that its developers keep their code signing keys on commodity microcontrollers (such as the stm32 used in [gnuk][gnuk]) rather than commercial fixed-purpose HSMs like Yubikeys. Ian Jackson's [explanation][debian-dongle] for this preference uses similar reasoning.
## What if I don't care about security, trust, or power?
## What if I don't care about security, trust, or power?
Instead, you can be awed at the kind of [amazing things people discover](https://www.devever.net/~hl/power9tags#where-are-the-tags-stored) when "maybe the cpu traps out to some software I don't control" can be ruled out as an explanation. Care about science, and being able to do it instead of accepting unknowability.
Instead, you can be awed at the kind of [amazing things people discover](https://www.devever.net/~hl/power9tags#where-are-the-tags-stored) when "maybe the cpu traps out to some software I don't control" can be ruled out as an explanation. Care about science, and being able to do it instead of accepting unknowability.
Adam Joseph
2 years ago