What is the Keystone Hardware Wallet?
Keystone is a leading provider of cold storage hardware wallets to store crypto assets (tokens and NFTs). They provide strict security protections which protect against both software and hardware attack vectors.
Keystone, formerly known as Cobo Vault, is headquartered in Hong Kong and the hardware wallet devices are manufactured in China. The Keystone brand emerged in June 2021 and has been continuously building since then.
Key features of the Keystone hardware wallet:
- Advanced recovery mechanisms
- Multisig (multisignature) support for multiple approvers
- Encrypted QR code transactions
- Community audited code
- Touchscreen display
- Extended battery life
- Secured firmware update process
- Numerous physical device and data protections
How does Keystone hardware wallet protect from attacks?
Air-gapped technology is the first line of defense for cold storage, the device is completely isolated from network connection including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and USB.
Biometric authentication (verification of unique biological traits) in the form of fingerprint recognition.
Secure Elements design prevents physical attacks from gleaning data (private keys) while the device is turned on and operational. This Keystone protection covers a myriad of attack vectors.
- Side channel attacks are a method that focuses on observing a device's physical behavior such as energy consumption, electromagnetic emissions and sounds to reveal information about what is being processed.
- Power Analysis - the most common vector which reads changes in power consumption while a transaction is being signed to identify the private key.
- Cold Boot - this vector examines any physical memory that a device may be holding directly after powering down.
- Faults - finding faults in the hardware construction or software integration can be induced by introducing known electric currents and observing how the device reacts.
What happens to a Keystone hardware wallet when it is physically attacked?
Keystone hardware wallets have a self destruct mechanism that wipes all information on the device (including private keys) upon detection.
The Keystone wallet only has one physical entry point, a Micro SD slot.
In order to access internal components of the hardware wallet an attacker must physically take the device apart which will trigger the self destruct function.
In the event of a physical attack, assets can be reclaimed using a seed phrase.
How do I connect the Keystone hardware wallet to Backpack?
Download Backpack Wallet browser extension.
- Open the Settings menu and select 'Add Account'
- Select 'Import Wallet' and choose the appropriate network
- Select 'Use a hardware wallet' and choose 'Use a Keystone wallet'
- Follow directions on Keystone device and scan QR code on the Keystone
- Proceed with wallet setup instructions
Note: Always record private keys and seed phrases in a secure location. Neither Backpack nor Keystone will be able to recover your assets if this information is lost.
At the time of publication, Keystone is supported in browser extension with iOS and Android coming soon.
Where can I learn more about the Keystone hardware wallet?
The Keystone blog has a tremendous amount of resources about their product and security concepts used when designing and manufacturing cold storage hardware wallets.
What else should I know?
To celebrate the Backpack integration, Keystone is offering all Mad Lads holders a 50% discount on custom-designed hardware wallets.
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