On Third Parties

Every time new software or an application is added to an existing ecosystem, there are fresh opportunities for security vulnerabilities. The more complex and expansive a software is, the more theoretical points of attack a bad actor can infiltrate. These vulnerabilities often stem from third-party dependencies that introduce additional code paths, or ultimately prove to be, single points of failure. When you think of a Ledger wallet and the hundreds of tokens they support, theoretically every one of these tokens is another possible attack vector for a hacker. Bitcoin only wallets exist to remove any and all avenues for all of these other potential attack vectors. By focusing on Bitcoin, these Bitcoin only wallets do not need to write and construct security measures to protect from the event that “XYZ token” has a security breach. 

This is only one example of why third-party dependencies are not the most secure building methods. With third-party libraries, your company must “trust” that the component you are injecting has proper security measures in place. 

Branta’s goal is to remove the necessity of trust from the equation and instead replace trust with verification measures that can be rechecked from multiple devices, at any time, if desired. Remove the trust, and verify.

The Bitcoin Network serves as a proper introduction to this idea. 

Bitcoin is secure in its simplicity. In its simplicity it establishes itself as an anti fragile system that is essentially incorruptible and will stand the test of time for centuries to come. When you build on Bitcoin, you are building on layers. The Lightning Network is a Layer 2 application. It is an independent layer that runs on top of Bitcoin. This process does nothing to impact the security or anti-fragility of the layer 1 Bitcoin Network yet it opens up Bitcoin to be used for mass payment scaling. 

This model of layering is exactly the model that Branta deploys. Branta doesn't require runtime injection into your stack to work. If your company’s code is Layer 1, Branta is Layer 2 on top. Branta’s Guardrail sits adjacent your systems and enables pre-payment verification without additional runtime injection into your fortified stack.
By being built as a layer, Guardrail eliminates points of failure that are commonly exploited in third-party dependency designs. This architecture was intentional in designing Guardrail. Branta aims to eliminate trust from being a factor at all. By operating externally to your code stack, there is no need to depend on Branta’s security measures—because there is nothing your code depends on Branta for. Your code operates nearly unchanged after Guardrail is added (one exception is the Branta BTCPay Server Plugin - auditable, open source software).

Through Guardrail integration, your storefront becomes more secure. Your storefront moves from being a single marriage of trust between you and your consumer, and therefore a single relationship failure system, to being secured by 3 independent bodies: your code, Guardrail’s address verification, and your customer’s verification. 

From the perspective of Branta's clients, Guardrail is “read-only.” Secure server communication drives the security model. Guardrail does not have the ability to edit or change any code. This is in the DNA of Guardrail; to minimize trust and maximize authenticity.

Guardrail does not synthesize nor facilitate.

Guardrail is merely a validating mechanism that aims to remove trust from a system that shouldn’t have any trust to begin with. “Don’t trust, verify” is a saying amongst Bitcoiners because of the characteristics Bitcoin has which enables anyone to run their own node and verify any transaction if they wanted to. This methodology should be applied to spending bitcoin as well. Remove the trust, and let verification occur.

Branta makes this a reality.