The Keys to Your Security: Vault 7
The world becomes more complex each passing year with an ever-increasing amount of sophisticated technology being released and made accessible to the public. As we explore into new and uncharted territory, we unknowingly expose our vulnerabilities to those with better understanding that lie in wait.
As recently as February of this year, we began to see the tip of the technological iceberg, but only a few have really grasped the dangers and implications that exist within the cyber-world. How those with access, knowledge and the inclination towards manipulation can use technology as a force against us.
On February 16, 2017 Wiki Leaks released documents detailing how the CIA had monitored the French elections. They published this information based on its context for the forthcoming release of Vault 7.
But what is Vault 7? It sounds like something from Harry Potter where the goblins keep their gold. The truth of Vault 7 is almost as hard to believe, but made all the more sinister because it does indeed exist within our own reality.
Vault 7 is the code name that Wiki Leaks has used for “the largest ever publication of confidential documents on the agency,” of the CIA. These documents have effectively exposed the hacking tools, e-surveillance, and cyber warfare tactics that the CIA is capable of using, not only in foreign countries, but on homeland soil as well.
One of the most unsettling aspects of this series of releases is that they illuminate the possibility that your private computer could be hacked or compromised by the U.S. government at any time without you ever having any idea.
Now, for the average person that may not seem like such a big deal; you may be thinking to yourself, “The only real incriminating thing that I’ve done in years is illegally download that final Harry Potter film before it was released…”
But what about your finances? Your banking information? Or, if you’ve been taking advantage of the huge strides in technology, such as your Bitcoins? With the information revealed in Vault 7, it has become apparent that very little that is kept online is actually safe.
Bitcoins are an online form of cyber-currency that exist in finite number, free from the control of a centralized bank or government, and mined by way of mathematical equations. Each coin is currently valued at about $2,500; making them a considerable investment for any person lucky enough own one.
If you are storing your Bitcoins in an exchange or online wallet, it’s important to know that they are at risk of being stolen or compromised at any time, regardless of whether the attack comes from a criminal hacker or the CIA.
There is no magic spell for the Internet, but the next best thing would have to be locking up your Bitcoins in cold storage. This cold storage sounds like something from another dimension as well, but with the correct software there is hope for security and you can put you mind at ease.
So how does this cold storage work? Armory cold storage is basically the same thing as an offline wallet. It is a strategy of keeping your wallet’s keys and your saved Bitcoins in a computer that will never come in contact with the Internet.
Then, once you have your offline wallet set up, there is a one-time transfer process to establish a “watching-only wallet” on your regular online computer. This wallet does not contain any of your private keys or personal information that are necessary for the release of your Bitcoins, and so it is rendered useless to any potential hackers.
It does however allow you to accept incoming payments and generate new addresses in the same way that a regular online wallet, like your bank account, does.
When you want to initiate a payment from your stored Bitcoins, you can use the online “watch-only” wallet to generate an unsigned transaction. You then take it to your offline wallet, using a USB, where you can obtain a signature from your personalized keys that are stored in the offline wallet.
Once you have completed the signed transaction offline, you can then bring it back to the online computer where it can be broadcast and finalized. Your unused Bitcoins remain locked in cold storage, out of reach from cyber-hackers grasping hands. You never have to risk theft or infection because they will never come in contact with the World Wide Web.