“Purposefully Vulnerable” Blockchain from Kudelski Security to be Released at Black Hat

In an effort to raise awareness of the vulnerabilities of blockchain, the poster boy of future technology just within reach, cybersecurity firm Kudelski Security announced that they will be releasing a “purposefully vulnerable” blockchain for demo at information security conference, Black Hat. This according to a report from Computer World, July 25, 2019.

Vulnerable Blockchain Details

Kudelski wrote the blockchain in Python 3.0, a programming language that’s widely used and accepted to quickly allow anyone to read and modify the source code. Thanks to its modularity, anyone can add new code to enable continuous learning. This concept isn’t new and is similar to what white hat hackers would do in their penetration testing to learn a systems vulnerability (and how to address said problem areas).

Interested parties are able to download the code through GitHub, or demo the blockchain directly from the cybersecurity firm’s website.

The whole point of Kudelski’s initiative is to hopefully set in motion a rigorous education framework that will inform and enable better security of blockchain systems, which will one day be the backbone of global operations worth millions. Notably, Black Hat is a 4-day event from August 3rd-8th and is a top information security conference with over 20 years of operation.

Blockchain is Immutable, Not Invincible

In these circles, blockchain tech is often touted as the key to solving everything. Ethical sourcing, election manipulation, money remittance – if it requires storing data, blockchain and revolutionize it.

However, just because blockchain is immutable doesn’t mean its foolproof. Ethereum’s DAO hack isn’t the only example; more recently a bug in NEO’s blockchain allowed hackers to remotely steal funds.

The downfall that these hacks can bring usually sing to the tune of millions of dollars’ worth of crypto, typically without recourse. Imagine the kind of financial turmoil that would occur if these hacks were to happen when cryptocurrency became more commonplace and widespread.

Cryptocurrency is growing at a blistering rate, either price or technological innovation is always soaring for the sky. Companies like Kudelkski are in the game to make sure blockchain systems don’t become something akin to Icarus and get burned.