Exclusive: Blockchains Are Not Ready for the Quantum Threat, But Trezor Is, Says CTO

Cryptonews has talked with Tomáš Sušánka, Chief Technology Officer at Trezor, at the wallet maker’s Prague conference on 21 October, titled Trustless by Design.

Sušánka has discussed the launch of the Trezor Safe 7, specifically the post-quantum security, and whether there is really a need for this feature (currently). He also answered our questions about utilizing Bluetooth, which is known to have security issues.

Finally, the CTO noted the advantages of the latest introductions, including the auditable secure element, which is transparent to all, and the battery change, designed with HODLers in mind.

Community Gathers in Prague, Trezor Unveils Safe 7

Crypto industry insiders, community members, and journalists came to Prague on Tuesday for the Trezor Conference, where the company unveiled the latest wallet version. Check out the conference live coverage here.

Trezor executives and developers presented the wallet’s key features, heavily focused on security. And these are the elements Cryptonews chatted with the CTO about.

TROPIC01 is described as “the world’s first transparent and auditable secure element.” The community can now inspect, verify, and validate the design.

Private keys are “completely isolated from the host system,” the team claims. Users need to physically confirm all sensitive actions on the touchscreen.

Safe 7 supports “quantum-secure updates,” so that “when networks eventually upgrade to post-quantum security, you won’t need to replace your hardware wallet.”

The wallet supports Bluetooth communication, which is secured via Trezor Host Protocol (THP).

Is It a Good Idea to Use the Notoriously Unsafe Bluetooth?

Asked about Bluetooth security issues, CTO Sušánka admitted that this element has indeed been problematic.

However, he adds, it is useful and can be made safer – which Trezor has accomplished by adding an additional layer of protection called Trezor Host Protocol (THP). This has resulted in “double pairing,” the exec says. This eliminates the possibility of a random device using one’s Trezor.

Moreover, the THP provides “other guarantees,” he told Cryptonews. It allows users to ensure that they’re “using Trezor with an application that they actually want.”

So, “the biggest feature is that, in case Bluetooth gets compromised, we are fine, because we have Trezor’s protocol that ensures everything is okay,” the CTO claims.

Additionally, as the wallet is a wireless, battery device, the team had to take power consumption into consideration. Bluetooth fits the bill.

Is There Really a Need for Quantum Protection Yet?

While not here yet, this quantum threat is incoming, the Trezor execs have argued.

Speaking with Sušánka, he commented that “blockchains are not ready for quantum threat.” Therefore, there isn’t much sense in having a wallet with quantum security, as attackers would target the blockchain itself, not a wallet.

However, though considered Sci-Fi just a decade ago, with the noticeable advancements in the field, quantum computing may be here in another decade or so. The discussions are already “ramping up.”

“Okay, so the blockchains are not ready, but is there something we [at Trezor] can do already as of now? And that’s exactly what we did,” says the CTO.

The device uses “post-quantum signatures” to make it resistant to quantum computers. This means that the current version of Trezor will still be usable once blockchains implement this type of protection. All it will require is an update pushed by the company.

“The consequences are so huge that I think it’s time to slowly implement this,” the CTO argues.

What Kind of Transparency Produces Best Results in the Long Run?

The exec said that he’s “thrilled” that Tropic Square, Trezor’s sister company, came out with their first secure element, TROPIC01, which is transparent and auditable. “The hardware chip industry is way more closed-sourced and proprietary than the software one,” Sušánka noted.

“So I’m really glad that we made some advancement there as well, because I really think in the long term, it will improve the security of the industry,” he told Cryptonews. “And I really do believe that this approach, where anyone can have a look at the code, in the long run, will have the best result.”

Next up, Safe 7 comes with a LiFePO4 battery that delivers four times “more charging cycles than standard lithium batteries.”

Compared to the current batteries we find in our mobile and other devices, “the discharge on [Trezor’s] battery is way slower,” the CTO claims. Therefore, the team wanted to prioritise “the HODL use case.”

“The idea behind this was really the longevity to make sure that the battery can work even if you use [the wallet] sporadically,” Sušánka said.

Finally, Trezor Suite Lite is now called just Trezor Suite. It can be installed across desktop, mobile, and tablet devices. There is now a wireless connection available on the desktop version. Check out the full announcement below.

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