Why is Asfaload relevant?
In an increasingly complex digital world, ensuring the integrity and authenticity of digital artifacts and processes is critical. Asfaload provides a robust multisignature sign-off solution that helps mitigate risks such as:
- Supply Chain Attacks: Verify that software components, libraries, or container images haven’t been tampered with.
- Unauthorized Deployments: Implement sign-off barriers in your CI/CD pipelines requiring approval from multiple parties before deployment.
- Malware Distribution: Ensure that files downloaded by users are exactly as published by their legitimate authors.
- Compromised Accounts: Limit the impact of a single compromised key or account by requiring multiple signatures for critical actions.
Asfaload makes it easier to implement strong authentication and authorization processes across various digital workflows.
What is multisignature sign-off?
Multisignature (multisig) sign-off requires a specified number of signatures (m) out of a total number of authorized signers (n) for an action or artifact to be considered validly approved. This contrasts with traditional single-signature methods, where only one signature is needed. Multisig enhances security by distributing trust and requiring collusion among multiple parties to perform malicious actions.
What kind of artifacts and processes can Asfaload secure?
Asfaload’s solution is generalized and can be applied to a wide range of digital artifacts and processes, including:
- File downloads (e.g., software releases, documents)
- Container images
- Software deployments (as a required sign-off step in pipelines)
- Configuration changes
- Any digital asset or process where requiring multiple approvals is necessary for security or compliance.
How does the m-of-n signing policy work?
With an m-of-n policy, you define a set of n authorized signers, and specify that at least m unique signatures from this set are required to validate an artifact or action. For example, a 3-of-5 policy means any 3 out of the 5 designated signers must provide their signature. This provides flexibility and resilience against the loss or compromise of individual keys.
Who can be a signer?
Signers can be human operators (e.g., release managers, security officers) or automated software agents (e.g., vulnerability scanners, compliance checkers). This allows Asfaload to integrate seamlessly into both manual and automated workflows.
How does Asfaload protect against key compromise or loss?
Asfaload’s multisignature approach inherently provides resilience. An m-of-n account with m > 1 can protect against m-1 key compromises, as a single compromised key cannot independently sign. An m-of-n account with n > m can protect against n-m key losses, as there are enough remaining signers to meet the threshold. The use of distinct key roles and offline master keys further enhances the ability to recover from adverse events.
Why not use PGP/GPG?
PGP/GPG is a general-purpose encryption and signing tool that can be complex and cumbersome for users, leading to low adoption for file authenticity checks. Asfaload is specifically focused on the problem of authenticating digital artifacts and processes through multisignature sign-off, offering a simpler, more streamlined user experience and built-in support for multisig policies and auditable records.
If I start using Asfaload as a publisher, am I locked in?
Absolutely not. You can stop using Asfaload at any time. However, if you stop, users will no longer be able to validate the authenticity of new artifacts you publish using the Asfaload system.
If I publish files authenticated with Asfaload, are my users required to use Asfaload?
No. Files and artifacts registered in Asfaload remain available through their original distribution channels. Asfaload provides an additional layer of security and verification for users who choose to use the Asfaload verification tools.
As a consumer, can I use Asfaload to verify artifacts from publishers not using Asfaload?
You can use the Asfaload tools to download files from any source. However, the authenticity verification feature will only work for artifacts that have been signed by publishers using the Asfaload system. Using the Asfaload downloader for all your downloads means you automatically benefit from the authenticity checks whenever they are available.