Author: Jeff Garzik 2014-08-19 23:40:39
Published on: 2014-08-19T23:40:39+00:00
The discussion in this email thread revolves around the idea of encrypting communications between nodes in the Bitcoin network. Some argue that encryption is not necessary and may even be counterproductive, as it could make it easier for attackers to perform man-in-the-middle attacks. Additionally, there have been recent vulnerabilities in OpenSSL that could have had catastrophic consequences if the Bitcoin network had been vulnerable. Instead of encryption, some suggest using HMAC for protocol message authentication. The consensus seems to be that the risk/reward payoff for implementing encryption is not worthwhile. There is also a mention of Tor or VPN services as an alternative for nodes that require a higher level of security. The email signature belongs to Jeff Garzik, a Bitcoin core developer and open source evangelist at BitPay, Inc.
Updated on: 2023-06-09T02:14:33.840700+00:00