Read on Twitter
1/10
Ok, everybody had some fun hating on @Ledger for the leak. Sure, they were sloppy, & it's good that many new (& some old) users are (re)discovering the importance of privacy in #Bitcoin
(here's my 2-part article about this fundamental topic: https://bitcoinmagazine.com/articles/a-treatise-on-bitcoin-and-privacy-part-1-a-match-made-in-the-whitepaper).
Ok, everybody had some fun hating on @Ledger for the leak. Sure, they were sloppy, & it's good that many new (& some old) users are (re)discovering the importance of privacy in #Bitcoin
(here's my 2-part article about this fundamental topic: https://bitcoinmagazine.com/articles/a-treatise-on-bitcoin-and-privacy-part-1-a-match-made-in-the-whitepaper).
2/10
Still, I see 2 (opposite) kinds of weird take circulating about the lessons learned. The first kind consists of people minimizing the security risks involved in having your personal identity & addressed publicly associated with some #Bitcoin possession. Their argument goes:
Still, I see 2 (opposite) kinds of weird take circulating about the lessons learned. The first kind consists of people minimizing the security risks involved in having your personal identity & addressed publicly associated with some #Bitcoin
possession. Their argument goes:
3/10
"There are many vocal Bitcoiners showing off their real identities on Twitter every day already, like that moron @giacomozucco, so what if my name is associated with some HWW purchase?". The point is that criminals (of both the legal & illegal kind) love low hanging fruits.
"There are many vocal Bitcoiners showing off their real identities on Twitter every day already, like that moron @giacomozucco, so what if my name is associated with some HWW purchase?". The point is that criminals (of both the legal & illegal kind) love low hanging fruits.
4/10
Hundreds thousands people who didn't decide or expect for their sat-hodlings to be public are a better pool, for blackmail/robbery, than tens of thousands people who are vocals about stacking sats and realistically planned accordingly. Cost/benefit is completely different.
Hundreds thousands people who didn't decide or expect for their sat-hodlings to be public are a better pool, for blackmail/robbery, than tens of thousands people who are vocals about stacking sats and realistically planned accordingly. Cost/benefit is completely different.
5/10
The simple difference between the amount of scary news associated with vocal Bitcoin personalities over the last years, & the one associated with HWW buyers over the last few days (even if mostly not confirmed) seems to corroborate this huge distinction.
The simple difference between the amount of scary news associated with vocal Bitcoin personalities over the last years, & the one associated with HWW buyers over the last few days (even if mostly not confirmed) seems to corroborate this huge distinction.
6/10
The second kind of weird take is about overstating the seriousness of this risk in the context. So, you gave away sensitive information connecting your name & home address w/ the fact you own some sats (at least enough to justify an HHW purchase). Ok. Forgetting anything?
The second kind of weird take is about overstating the seriousness of this risk in the context. So, you gave away sensitive information connecting your name & home address w/ the fact you own some sats (at least enough to justify an HHW purchase). Ok. Forgetting anything?
7/10
Well, yeah: literally *every time* you purchased sats via KYC services, you gave away sensitive information connecting:
- your name,
- your home address (w/ proof of residence),
- your FACE (w/ valid ID),
- your specific purchased AMOUNTS,
- your public withdrawal ADDRESSES!
Well, yeah: literally *every time* you purchased sats via KYC services, you gave away sensitive information connecting:
- your name,
- your home address (w/ proof of residence),
- your FACE (w/ valid ID),
- your specific purchased AMOUNTS,
- your public withdrawal ADDRESSES!
8/10
Unlike w/ the Ledger situation, you didn't share all that w/ just a single company (& its employees), but also with many State agencies (& their employees) & some chain-analysis firms (& their employees). Do you really think those will not leak (assuming they haven't)? Meh.
Unlike w/ the Ledger situation, you didn't share all that w/ just a single company (& its employees), but also with many State agencies (& their employees) & some chain-analysis firms (& their employees). Do you really think those will not leak (assuming they haven't)? Meh.
9/10
No reason to panic. But be careful w/ your money. Becoming your own bank is a bad idea if you don't take your security at least as seriously as your fiat bank would. Take privacy seriously. Expect attacks (by illegal bandits & *legal* ones as well, often the most dangerous).
No reason to panic. But be careful w/ your money. Becoming your own bank is a bad idea if you don't take your security at least as seriously as your fiat bank would. Take privacy seriously. Expect attacks (by illegal bandits & *legal* ones as well, often the most dangerous).
10/10
A brief, incomplete list of stuff to study:
- Physical security (guns, dogs, relocation, etc)
- Computer security (passwords, tor, etc)
- Bitcoin security (full-node, coin-join/control, multisig/timelock, etc)
Be aware you probably suck at all this (just like me) & improve.
A brief, incomplete list of stuff to study:
- Physical security (guns, dogs, relocation, etc)
- Computer security (passwords, tor, etc)
- Bitcoin security (full-node, coin-join/control, multisig/timelock, etc)
Be aware you probably suck at all this (just like me) & improve.
