Author: Adam Back 2015-09-10 17:48:42
Published on: 2015-09-10T17:48:42+00:00
The article discusses the need for a threat model for Bitcoin in order to prioritize development efforts. A threat model is a document that specifies which adversaries pose a threat, what they can do, and why they want to attack. Establishing a threat model is important as it helps to focus on other threats that can be better managed or to improve usability or features. The proposed model prioritizes rational individuals and small groups motivated by profit, followed by the "global passive adversary" motivated by a desire to map bitcoin transactions to people in bulk. The exclusion of many types of government adversary is controversial due to their effective ways of interfering with Bitcoin that cannot be addressed. The article also includes examples of attackers that would be in-scope and out-of-scope, and the goal of the model is not to predict the future but to help prioritize development efforts.
Updated on: 2023-06-10T22:16:49.135117+00:00