How Bitcoin Proof of Work Can Protect Governments from Cyber ​​Attacks

US Space Force engineer Jason Leary urged the Defense Innovation Board to investigate whether a proof-of-work protocol like Bitcoin (BTC) could be of national strategic importance.

As bitcoin hit $41,000 on Monday, theories are circulating that the major crypto has the potential to become strategically important for cyber security.

Jason Leary proposed to change the verification of Bitcoin to a macrochip

The basic concept behind ensuring security on land, sea, air and space revolves around creating formidable physical barriers to access. One example of this principle is the construction of hilltop forts, strategically placed to provide a physical challenge to opponents and protect them from invasion.

Similarly, he explained, minimal physical barriers can protect cyberspace. He explained.

“The strategy involves using a computer that adds physical resources. By designing a computer that is physically expensive to operate, we can effectively introduce physical restrictions on cyberspace by making its use mandatory, and then impose them on anyone operating in cyberspace.

“By integrating and integrating such computing into the infrastructure of the Internet, it can be achieved by moving the physical limitations of the real world into a previously unlimited range of cybersecurity applications.”

Microchips make calculations faster. However, for resource-intensive computing, Lowery proposed the “macrochip.” He believes the global electric power grid can be transformed into a “massive, power-intensive, general-purpose computer or macrochip.”

According to Lowery, the macrochip already exists, hidden in plain sight, that is, Bitcoin's proof of work. he said:

“Proof-of-work technologies, exemplified by Bitcoin, have the potential to significantly shape our understanding of warfare in the cyber domain. At the very least, these innovations are changing our understanding of cyber security.

In fact, Bitcoin authentication is a power-intensive task in its proof-of-work, requiring a large amount of computing power. As of writing, Bitcoin's throughput is at 67.96 terashes per second. The metric measures the difficulty of extracting a Bitcoin block in terhashes.

Read more: Simplifying Bitcoin White Paper: A Comprehensive Guide

Thus, in a four-page open letter, Lowery recommended that the Defense Innovation Board “prioritize an investigation of the national strategic importance of proof-of-work protocols such as Bitcoin.” Earlier in March, through a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) master's thesis, he proposed that the US should stockpile Bitcoin as a self-defense weapon.

Disagreement?

Many argue against Lowry's proposal. For example, retired Air Force officer John Betancourt believes there are some inconsistencies in Lowry's proposal. He argues:

“PoW is a method of achieving consensus and trust on a distributed ledger by requiring accounting to verify transactions and create new blocks. It does not provide secure data encryption or unauthorized access. It is designed to prevent double spending and ensure the integrity of the blockchain, not to protect data or network infrastructure from cyberattacks.” .

PoW does not protect data from unauthorized access, exploitation or theft.

Read more: How to buy Bitcoin (BTC) and everything you need to know

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