Hardware Trust Levels

A core tenet of the Conduit Network is to decentralize the internet, enabling clusters of nodes to operate on the edge, rather than in large centralized data centers run by "Big Tech". To do this, the benefits of physical security provided at data centers must be achieved in a different way. Conduit Network has defined four hardware trust levels to help consumers understand different tiers of security for decentralized and sovereignly operated hardware. Conduit has also taken on the responsibility for producing the first High Trust hardware for running Core Security Nodes with the Security Module included in the Conduit Core. Following are the hardware Trust Levels for Conduit Network:

• Low Trust: appropriate for use only when there is virtually no value lost, should the device be compromised - or gaining access to or changing the information it contains or produces. Shared public information that can be easily regenerated is a good example. Any hardware system can be considered a Low Trust Node. In fact, all non-verified Nodes in the Network are considered Low Trust Nodes until proven differently. This means that any device already owned or in use by anyone on the internet can be considered and used as a Low Trust Node. The Conduit infrastructure Ecosystem websites and apps do not offer any pre-configured Low Trust Nodes, as their use is not encouraged by the Network. However, every piece of hardware connected to the internet today, unless certified to a higher standard, every cloud computing environment, is considered Low Trust.
• Standard Trust: appropriate for use where there is low value to someone gaining unauthorized access, or for use where there may be economic loss, but which would not be significant – either in individual cases or the aggregate. Standard Trust Nodes may be considered Enhanced Trust Nodes when they exist in environments that have high physical and connectivity protection, as in secure data centers or in private networks not connected to the internet. Standard Trust Nodes can be supplied by many commodity hardware providers. Even legacy hardware that Network Participants already own may qualify for use as a Standard Trust Node. Standard Trust Nodes can be acquired directly from their suppliers and configured to operate within the Network by installing a Worker Node OS by purchasing a Node0 License. Also, a limited list of pre-configured Standard Trust Nodes are available for purchase via the Conduit infrastructure Ecosystem websites and apps. These come with the Worker Node OS preinstalled and a Node0 License.
• Enhanced Trust: represents a compromise between Standard Trust and High Trust that attempts to find the sweet spot between cost and the friction of use versus the skill or economic cost of breaching security or violating trust. Enhanced Trust Nodes are only available from a list of qualifying hardware device manufacturers from vetted third parties. Enhanced Trust Nodes can be purchased directly from their suppliers, and can be configured to operate within the Network by buying a Node0 License – or purchased pre-configured through the Conduit infrastructure Ecosystem, which comes with the Worker Node OS preinstalled and a Node0 license.
• High Trust: appropriate for use in the most demanding trustless security environments, including critical banking, nation-state, and utilities infrastructure. These Nodes can only be purchased through licensed Syndicates (a Network version of a DAO) within the infrastructure Ecosystem. These Syndicates must demonstrate that they maintain a fully audited supply chain that provides full provenance for all components. All components deemed to pose a quantifiable risk must also come from Members of a licensed Syndicate within the infrastructure Ecosystem. All hardware, OS and software for High Trust Nodes are designed by Conduit, and are only manufactured by licensed Parties who use approved suppliers for components. Software components can only be created and modified by licensed Parties and must be audited by licensed Parties. All hardware for High Trust Nodes that run Secure Core Services must be NIST rated to comply with the FIPS 140-2 (level 3) standards or higher.

The entire supply chain for High Trust Nodes must ensure provenance and auditable history of each component. Any party who wishes to participate in building components for High Trust Nodes must go through a rigorous training process, risk assessment, and submit to regular audit processes, as well as agreeing to join a Syndicate that places the right to all IP used within a Network trust. Therefore, High Trust Nodes for use in the Network are only available through the Conduit infrastructure Ecosystem and must be purchased through Network websites or apps.