The private keys corresponding to Nostr DIDs MUST be kept secure. Loss of private keys will result in permanent loss of control over the identifier. Implementers SHOULD employ strong key management practices, including secure key generation, storage, and backup procedures.
(How many people, even among ubernerds, is actually capable of simultaneously maintaining both the confidentiality and availability of an all-important long-term non-rotatable secret key?)
A PGP key is neither necessary[1] nor sufficient[2] for a PGP email user to be able to use their email account, so neither the loss or leak of a PGP private key is as consequential as the loss or leak of a cryptographic capability like a nostr key is.
On the other hand, the history and present of PGP usage does provide some good arguments for my point that responsible key custody is difficult: most PGP users keep our keys encrypted, some on HSMs; many people often don’t carry them around; and very few would advise pasting a PGP private key in to new shiny apps one might stumble across the way that people do with their nostr keys today.
if you lose access to your PGP key it doesn’t mean you need to stop using that email address ↩︎
if I obtain your PGP secret key, that doesn’t let me log into your IMAP server ↩︎
To be fair, the last time anyone had to paste their key into a shiny new app was probably 2 years ago. Most users today will have a signer that the private key never leaves. And key-rotation is definitely on it’s way, it’s getting time pressing :D
I’m not sure any social media should ever be used for secrecy or privacy, be it nostr or whateverland.eeaah™. Which is a social question, not so much technical. Meanwhile, i think it’s pretty good to democratize the knowledge of key-management. After all, privacy and security on-line is more a matter of hygiene then it will ever be an app.
tragicomically naive/short-sighted
[…]
(How many people, even among ubernerds, is actually capable of simultaneously maintaining both the confidentiality and availability of an all-important long-term non-rotatable secret key?)
PGP/GPG anyone? Either way, I for one am excited to see how much longer they’re non-rotatable.
A PGP key is neither necessary[1] nor sufficient[2] for a PGP email user to be able to use their email account, so neither the loss or leak of a PGP private key is as consequential as the loss or leak of a cryptographic capability like a nostr key is.
On the other hand, the history and present of PGP usage does provide some good arguments for my point that responsible key custody is difficult: most PGP users keep our keys encrypted, some on HSMs; many people often don’t carry them around; and very few would advise pasting a PGP private key in to new shiny apps one might stumble across the way that people do with their nostr keys today.
if you lose access to your PGP key it doesn’t mean you need to stop using that email address ↩︎
if I obtain your PGP secret key, that doesn’t let me log into your IMAP server ↩︎
Very good points, thanks for elaborating!
To be fair, the last time anyone had to paste their key into a shiny new app was probably 2 years ago. Most users today will have a signer that the private key never leaves. And key-rotation is definitely on it’s way, it’s getting time pressing :D
I’m not sure any social media should ever be used for secrecy or privacy, be it nostr or whateverland.eeaah™. Which is a social question, not so much technical. Meanwhile, i think it’s pretty good to democratize the knowledge of key-management. After all, privacy and security on-line is more a matter of hygiene then it will ever be an app.
On a comical tangent, this popped up in the feed yesterday. It made me reflect over your input and chuckle. I figure it might make you laugh too 😅 https://jumble.social/notes/nevent1qvzqqqqqqypzq5xeflpdskqvdq4swxj59793uvdzqzc9pzatjk3nhmcg2h0js8trqyg8wumn8ghj7mn0wd68ytnddakj7qghwaehxw309aex2mrp0yhxummnw3ezucnpdejz7qpqzj6rzszq2ljccvqdswaccuag2m62y6asfw3rrvtxvacza39jy2uscksd8c