Pensieve
2026
- PQC Research Series — Part 4May 2, 2026 · 18 min
Reduction tightness is where PQC security meets operations: loose reductions consume margin, force parameter inflation, and turn “provably secure” into a bandwidth/RAM/latency problem.
- PQC Research Series — Part 3April 30, 2026 · 19 min
QROM is not “ROM but stronger.” It changes the oracle interface (superposition queries), breaks classical proof tactics (rewinding/programming), and turns Fiat–Shamir security into a tighter, system-bound claim.
- PQC Research Series — Part 2April 26, 2026 · 13 min
LWE/SIS are not “magic hardness.” They are interface contracts with worst-case/average-case reductions, structural trade-offs (Ring/Module), and concrete security heuristics (BKZ/sieving) that real systems routinely violate.
- PQC Research Series — Part 1April 24, 2026 · 17 min
A formal adversary taxonomy for PQC deployments: classical vs quantum vs QROM, with explicit resource accounting (queries, memory, time) and system-boundary assumptions.
- The KelpDAO Exploit Was Not a BugApril 19, 2026 · 22 min
Incident memo (April 2026): the 116,500 rsETH release via LayerZero EndpointV2 was a semantic guard failure. Signatures are not truth unless they bind to a unique, finalized source-chain debit.
- Hybrid Schemes and Protocol AgilityApril 16, 2026 · 10 min
Deep dive (April 2026): hybrid key establishment is a narrow hedge (HNDL), not “post-quantum TLS”. The hard part is suite identity, transcript binding, and AND-semantics for dual signatures.
- The Leaf Is the Hot Path: Signature Placement in Post-Quantum TLS (ML-DSA vs SLH-DSA)April 8, 2026 · 9 min
Paper note (April 2026): experiments show SLH-DSA in the server leaf collapses TLS 1.3 handshakes by ~10^3×. PQ migration is a certificate-hierarchy and cost-concentration problem, not an algorithm swap.
- Stateful Signatures Are a Distributed Systems Problem: XMSS/LMS Without Index ReuseApril 1, 2026 · 10 min
Deep dive (April 2026): stateful hash-based signatures look like “just PQC”, but one index reuse is a catastrophic key-management failure. Model the invariant, then build the allocator like a consensus component.
- Termination Is a Security Boundary: HotStuff Under UC, Delay Attacks, and the Uncomfortable Gap to RustMarch 28, 2026 · 13 min
Paper note (March 2026): a UC-style termination proof for HotStuff, the real invariant it relies on, and what changes when you ship it as a low-level Rust system under adversarial latency.
- Secure Distributed Storage: Erasure Coding Under AdversariesMarch 1, 2026 · 3 min
Spec-driven research note (March 2026): Secure Distributed Storage: Erasure Coding Under Adversaries.
- Verifiable Computation as Infrastructure: Proof Systems at ScaleFebruary 1, 2026 · 3 min
Engineering notebook entry (February 2026): Verifiable Computation as Infrastructure: Proof Systems at Scale.
- Composable Security: Where Proofs Break in Real SystemsJanuary 1, 2026 · 3 min
Threat-model-first analysis (January 2026): Composable Security: Where Proofs Break in Real Systems.
2025
- Research Frontiers: Composability, Proofs, and Future PrimitivesDecember 1, 2025 · 3 min
Threat-model-first analysis (December 2025): Research Frontiers: Composability, Proofs, and Future Primitives.
- Long-Lived Secrets: Forward Secrecy, KEMs, and Key ErasureNovember 1, 2025 · 3 min
Design memo (November 2025): Long-Lived Secrets: Forward Secrecy, KEMs, and Key Erasure.
- Post-Quantum DoS Surfaces: Handshakes, Amplification, and MitigationsOctober 1, 2025 · 3 min
Adversarial-first deep dive (October 2025): Post-Quantum DoS Surfaces: Handshakes, Amplification, and Mitigations.
- Operationalizing PQC: Monitoring, Rollback, and Incident ResponseSeptember 1, 2025 · 3 min
Spec-driven research note (September 2025): Operationalizing PQC: Monitoring, Rollback, and Incident Response.
- Quantum Tunneler: A Quantum-Safe IPSec Stack in RustAugust 3, 2025 · 4 min
An in-depth technical deep-dive into Quantum Tunneler—an end-to-end, Rust-based implementation of a post-quantum IPSec stack leveraging Kyber and Falcon.
- Quantum-Safe VPN Design: Lessons from Implementing a PQ IPSec StackAugust 1, 2025 · 3 min
Threat-model-first analysis (August 2025): Quantum-Safe VPN Design: Lessons from Implementing a PQ IPSec Stack.
- QuantumSafe Finance – Deep Technical Overview (Phase 2)August 1, 2025 · 4 min
Comprehensive article on the motivations, architecture, and current Phase 2 development of the QuantumSafe Finance Open-Core PQC platform.
- no_std Crypto in Rust: Determinism, Side Channels, and ConstraintsJuly 1, 2025 · 3 min
Engineering notebook entry (July 2025): no_std Crypto in Rust: Determinism, Side Channels, and Constraints.
- Building NeuroTradeX — Architecting an AI-Driven Trading SystemJune 18, 2025 · 2 min
A deep-dive into the modular design, architecture, and implementation of the NeuroTradeX open-source platform for financial and crypto trading.
- BFT with PQ Primitives: When Crypto Costs DominateJune 1, 2025 · 3 min
Spec-driven research note (June 2025): BFT with PQ Primitives: When Crypto Costs Dominate.
- Quantum-Resilient Identity: Device + Human, Online + OfflineMay 1, 2025 · 3 min
Adversarial-first deep dive (May 2025): Quantum-Resilient Identity: Device + Human, Online + Offline.
- CPZKp - Building Practical Zero-Knowledge Proofs in Rust from ScratchApril 28, 2025 · 3 min
A deep technical dive into the motivations, design, and implementation of CPZKp, a Chaum-Pedersen based ZK authentication library in Rust.
- Post-Quantum Cryptography for Industrial IoT with RustApril 28, 2025 · 2 min
A deep technical dive into the pqc-iiot Rust crate for secure, no_std, post-quantum cryptography in embedded and IIoT environments.
- PQC for Blockchain Signatures: Wallet UX, Size, and Verification CostApril 1, 2025 · 3 min
Adversarial-first deep dive (April 2025): PQC for Blockchain Signatures: Wallet UX, Size, and Verification Cost.
- Quantum-Safe Secure Boot: Firmware Roots and PQ SignaturesMarch 1, 2025 · 3 min
Engineering notebook entry (March 2025): Quantum-Safe Secure Boot: Firmware Roots and PQ Signatures.
- Hybrid Key Management: Rotations Across Algorithm FamiliesFebruary 1, 2025 · 3 min
Spec-driven research note (February 2025): Hybrid Key Management: Rotations Across Algorithm Families.
- Quantum Threat Modeling for Infrastructure: What Changes, What Doesn’tJanuary 1, 2025 · 3 min
Adversarial-first deep dive (January 2025): Quantum Threat Modeling for Infrastructure: What Changes, What Doesn’t.
2024
- Designing for Catastrophic Failure: Compartmentalization and RecoveryDecember 1, 2024 · 4 min
Spec-driven research note (December 2024): Designing for Catastrophic Failure: Compartmentalization and Recovery.
- ZKP Systems Engineering: Provers, Verifiers, and Operational CostNovember 1, 2024 · 4 min
Threat-model-first analysis (November 2024): ZKP Systems Engineering: Provers, Verifiers, and Operational Cost.
- Formal Verification of Crypto Protocols: Models, Gaps, and PainOctober 1, 2024 · 4 min
Spec-driven research note (October 2024): Formal Verification of Crypto Protocols: Models, Gaps, and Pain.
- Secure Enclaves in Distributed Systems: Remote Attestation and TrustSeptember 1, 2024 · 4 min
Spec-driven research note (September 2024): Secure Enclaves in Distributed Systems: Remote Attestation and Trust.
- Metadata and Privacy: The Hard Part Isn’t EncryptionAugust 1, 2024 · 4 min
Threat-model-first analysis (August 2024): Metadata and Privacy: The Hard Part Isn’t Encryption.
- Byzantine Fault Injection: Testing Protocols Like an AttackerJuly 1, 2024 · 4 min
Adversarial-first deep dive (July 2024): Byzantine Fault Injection: Testing Protocols Like an Attacker.
- Consensus Under Attack: Adaptive Adversaries and Network ControlJune 1, 2024 · 4 min
Spec-driven research note (June 2024): Consensus Under Attack: Adaptive Adversaries and Network Control.
- Time-Based Attacks: NTP Manipulation, Expiration, and ReplayMay 1, 2024 · 4 min
Adversarial-first deep dive (May 2024): Time-Based Attacks: NTP Manipulation, Expiration, and Replay.
- Sandbox Escapes: Isolation Boundaries as a Design InputApril 1, 2024 · 4 min
Spec-driven research note (April 2024): Sandbox Escapes: Isolation Boundaries as a Design Input.
- Supply Chain Attacks: Dependency Poisoning and Maintainer CompromiseMarch 1, 2024 · 4 min
Adversarial-first deep dive (March 2024): Supply Chain Attacks: Dependency Poisoning and Maintainer Compromise.
- DDoS at Scale: Adaptive Defense and Cost AsymmetryFebruary 1, 2024 · 4 min
Spec-driven research note (February 2024): DDoS at Scale: Adaptive Defense and Cost Asymmetry.
- BGP and Routing Attacks: Engineering for the Internet We HaveJanuary 1, 2024 · 4 min
Engineering notebook entry (January 2024): BGP and Routing Attacks: Engineering for the Internet We Have.
2023
- Compliance & Standards: Translating NIST to Engineering ActionDecember 1, 2023 · 3 min
Adversarial-first deep dive (December 2023): Compliance & Standards: Translating NIST to Engineering Action.
- Migration Risk Management: Inventory, Prioritization, and CutoverNovember 1, 2023 · 4 min
Correctness-focused deep dive (November 2023): Migration Risk Management: Inventory, Prioritization, and Cutover.
- Side Channels in PQC Implementations: Where Theory Meets CacheOctober 1, 2023 · 3 min
Correctness-focused deep dive (October 2023): Side Channels in PQC Implementations: Where Theory Meets Cache.
- Benchmarking PQC: What to Measure (and What Not To)September 1, 2023 · 4 min
Threat-model-first analysis (September 2023): Benchmarking PQC: What to Measure (and What Not To).
- Crypto Agility Tooling: Feature Flags, Policy, and RollbackAugust 1, 2023 · 4 min
Design memo (August 2023): Crypto Agility Tooling: Feature Flags, Policy, and Rollback.
- PQC for IoT: Memory, CPU, and Timing Side ChannelsJuly 1, 2023 · 3 min
Engineering notebook entry (July 2023): PQC for IoT: Memory, CPU, and Timing Side Channels.
- PQC in VPN/IPsec: IKEv2 Revisited Under PQ ConstraintsJune 1, 2023 · 3 min
Threat-model-first analysis (June 2023): PQC in VPN/IPsec: IKEv2 Revisited Under PQ Constraints.
- PQC in TLS: Negotiation, Downgrade, and InteropMay 1, 2023 · 4 min
Threat-model-first analysis (May 2023): PQC in TLS: Negotiation, Downgrade, and Interop.
- Hybrid Key Exchange: Binding Classical and PQ Secrets CorrectlyApril 1, 2023 · 3 min
Design memo (April 2023): Hybrid Key Exchange: Binding Classical and PQ Secrets Correctly.
- Signatures in Practice: Dilithium/Falcon and Deployment ConstraintsMarch 1, 2023 · 4 min
Design memo (March 2023): Signatures in Practice: Dilithium/Falcon and Deployment Constraints.
- KEMs in Practice: Kyber Handshakes and Failure SurfacesFebruary 1, 2023 · 4 min
Adversarial-first deep dive (February 2023): KEMs in Practice: Kyber Handshakes and Failure Surfaces.
- PQC Threat Models: 'Harvest Now, Decrypt Later' in Real SystemsJanuary 1, 2023 · 4 min
Design memo (January 2023): PQC Threat Models: 'Harvest Now, Decrypt Later' in Real Systems.
2022
- Red Teaming Infrastructure: Turning Attacks into Regression TestsDecember 1, 2022 · 3 min
Threat-model-first analysis (December 2022): Red Teaming Infrastructure: Turning Attacks into Regression Tests.
- Rust/Go Secure Coding Patterns: The Bugs That Still HappenNovember 1, 2022 · 3 min
Adversarial-first deep dive (November 2022): Rust/Go Secure Coding Patterns: The Bugs That Still Happen.
- Secure Configuration: Policy-as-Code and GuardrailsOctober 1, 2022 · 3 min
Spec-driven research note (October 2022): Secure Configuration: Policy-as-Code and Guardrails.
- Backup/Restore as a Protocol: RPO/RTO with AdversariesSeptember 1, 2022 · 3 min
Adversarial-first deep dive (September 2022): Backup/Restore as a Protocol: RPO/RTO with Adversaries.
- Observability at Scale: Traces, Cardinality, and CostAugust 1, 2022 · 3 min
Spec-driven research note (August 2022): Observability at Scale: Traces, Cardinality, and Cost.
- Rate Limiting & Load Shedding: Protecting Reliability SLOsJuly 1, 2022 · 3 min
Engineering notebook entry (July 2022): Rate Limiting & Load Shedding: Protecting Reliability SLOs.
- Multi-Region Design: Failover That You Can Actually TestJune 1, 2022 · 4 min
Threat-model-first analysis (June 2022): Multi-Region Design: Failover That You Can Actually Test.
- Kubernetes Hardening: RBAC, NetworkPolicy, and Pod SecurityMay 1, 2022 · 4 min
Threat-model-first analysis (May 2022): Kubernetes Hardening: RBAC, NetworkPolicy, and Pod Security.
- Runtime Security: eBPF, Policy, and Drift DetectionApril 1, 2022 · 3 min
Adversarial-first deep dive (April 2022): Runtime Security: eBPF, Policy, and Drift Detection.
- Secrets Hygiene: Rotation, Scoping, and Runtime DeliveryMarch 1, 2022 · 3 min
Adversarial-first deep dive (March 2022): Secrets Hygiene: Rotation, Scoping, and Runtime Delivery.
- Reproducible CI/CD: Determinism as DefenseFebruary 1, 2022 · 3 min
Engineering notebook entry (February 2022): Reproducible CI/CD: Determinism as Defense.
- Supply Chain Security: SLSA, SBOM, and Build ProvenanceJanuary 1, 2022 · 3 min
Spec-driven research note (January 2022): Supply Chain Security: SLSA, SBOM, and Build Provenance.
2021
- Post-Quantum Readiness at the Edge: Constraints and MigrationDecember 1, 2021 · 4 min
Engineering notebook entry (December 2021): Post-Quantum Readiness at the Edge: Constraints and Migration.
- Anomaly Detection: What 'Baseline' Means in Industrial SystemsNovember 1, 2021 · 4 min
Threat-model-first analysis (November 2021): Anomaly Detection: What 'Baseline' Means in Industrial Systems.
- Secure Remote Access: Bastions, Just-in-Time, and AuditOctober 1, 2021 · 3 min
Spec-driven research note (October 2021): Secure Remote Access: Bastions, Just-in-Time, and Audit.
- Offline-First Edge: Consistency During Intermittent ConnectivitySeptember 1, 2021 · 3 min
Spec-driven research note (September 2021): Offline-First Edge: Consistency During Intermittent Connectivity.
- Safety-Critical vs Security-Critical: Integrating Two WorldsAugust 1, 2021 · 4 min
Correctness-focused deep dive (August 2021): Safety-Critical vs Security-Critical: Integrating Two Worlds.
- Gateway Architecture: Protocol Translation Without Becoming a BottleneckJuly 1, 2021 · 4 min
Spec-driven research note (July 2021): Gateway Architecture: Protocol Translation Without Becoming a Bottleneck.
- Time-Series at Scale: Ingestion, Downsampling, and Query IsolationJune 1, 2021 · 4 min
Design memo (June 2021): Time-Series at Scale: Ingestion, Downsampling, and Query Isolation.
- Zero Trust for IIoT: Network Segmentation and Policy EnforcementMay 1, 2021 · 4 min
Correctness-focused deep dive (May 2021): Zero Trust for IIoT: Network Segmentation and Policy Enforcement.
- Firmware Update Pipelines: Rollouts, Canary, and RecoveryApril 1, 2021 · 4 min
Threat-model-first analysis (April 2021): Firmware Update Pipelines: Rollouts, Canary, and Recovery.
- Edge-to-Cloud Messaging: MQTT, OPC UA, and Threat ModelsMarch 1, 2021 · 4 min
Engineering notebook entry (March 2021): Edge-to-Cloud Messaging: MQTT, OPC UA, and Threat Models.
- Secure Telemetry: Integrity, Nonce Discipline, and Replay ProtectionFebruary 1, 2021 · 3 min
Correctness-focused deep dive (February 2021): Secure Telemetry: Integrity, Nonce Discipline, and Replay Protection.
- Device Identity: Provisioning, Attestation, and LifecycleJanuary 1, 2021 · 4 min
Design memo (January 2021): Device Identity: Provisioning, Attestation, and Lifecycle.
2020
- Spec-Driven Development: Making the Spec the Center of GravityDecember 1, 2020 · 4 min
Design memo (December 2020): Spec-Driven Development: Making the Spec the Center of Gravity.
- Boosting quantum computer hardware performance with TensorFlowNovember 3, 2020 · 8 min
Boosting quantum computer hardware performance with TensorFlow
- Simulating subatomic physics on a quantum computerNovember 3, 2020 · 3 min
How quantum computing could be a game-changer in our understanding of quantum processes.
- Designing APIs for Correctness: Types, Lifetimes, and CapabilitiesNovember 1, 2020 · 3 min
Engineering notebook entry (November 2020): Designing APIs for Correctness: Types, Lifetimes, and Capabilities.
- Verified Crypto Interfaces: Constant-Time Boundaries and Misuse ResistanceOctober 1, 2020 · 3 min
Adversarial-first deep dive (October 2020): Verified Crypto Interfaces: Constant-Time Boundaries and Misuse Resistance.
- Symbolic Execution: When Brute Force Becomes LogicSeptember 1, 2020 · 3 min
Correctness-focused deep dive (September 2020): Symbolic Execution: When Brute Force Becomes Logic.
- Concurrency Testing in Rust: Loom, Schedules, and DeterminismAugust 1, 2020 · 3 min
Adversarial-first deep dive (August 2020): Concurrency Testing in Rust: Loom, Schedules, and Determinism.
- Fuzzing Protocol Parsers: When Inputs Are AdversarialJuly 1, 2020 · 3 min
Threat-model-first analysis (July 2020): Fuzzing Protocol Parsers: When Inputs Are Adversarial.
- Differential Testing: Using Other Implementations as OraclesJune 1, 2020 · 4 min
Spec-driven research note (June 2020): Differential Testing: Using Other Implementations as Oracles.
- Property-Based Testing: Finding Bugs You Didn’t ImagineMay 1, 2020 · 3 min
Threat-model-first analysis (May 2020): Property-Based Testing: Finding Bugs You Didn’t Imagine.
- Refinement: Proving Your Implementation Matches the SpecApril 1, 2020 · 3 min
Engineering notebook entry (April 2020): Refinement: Proving Your Implementation Matches the Spec.
- Model Checking at Scale: State Explosion and How to CheatMarch 1, 2020 · 4 min
Adversarial-first deep dive (March 2020): Model Checking at Scale: State Explosion and How to Cheat.
- TLA+ for Engineers: Modeling the Minimal Thing That Can Break YouFebruary 1, 2020 · 3 min
Design memo (February 2020): TLA+ for Engineers: Modeling the Minimal Thing That Can Break You.
- Why the 2020s Belong to Quantum ComputingJanuary 13, 2020 · 14 min
Why the 2020s Belong to Quantum Computing
- Safety/Liveness Catalog: A Practical Checklist for Protocol SpecsJanuary 1, 2020 · 3 min
Adversarial-first deep dive (January 2020): Safety/Liveness Catalog: A Practical Checklist for Protocol Specs.
2019
- Validator Ops: Key Security, Slashing, and Fault ContainmentDecember 1, 2019 · 3 min
Design memo (December 2019): Validator Ops: Key Security, Slashing, and Fault Containment.
- Rust Node Architecture: Storage, Networking, and Deterministic ExecutionNovember 1, 2019 · 4 min
Adversarial-first deep dive (November 2019): Rust Node Architecture: Storage, Networking, and Deterministic Execution.
- Formalizing a Blockchain Protocol: Properties Worth ProvingOctober 1, 2019 · 4 min
Engineering notebook entry (October 2019): Formalizing a Blockchain Protocol: Properties Worth Proving.
- ZK in Protocols: Proof Systems as Network PrimitivesSeptember 1, 2019 · 4 min
Spec-driven research note (September 2019): ZK in Protocols: Proof Systems as Network Primitives.
- Bridges: Where Trust Comes Back to CollectAugust 1, 2019 · 4 min
Spec-driven research note (August 2019): Bridges: Where Trust Comes Back to Collect.
- Fee Markets and MEV: Incentives as an AdversaryJuly 1, 2019 · 4 min
Adversarial-first deep dive (July 2019): Fee Markets and MEV: Incentives as an Adversary.
- State Commitments: Merkle, Verkle, and Proof SizesJune 1, 2019 · 4 min
Correctness-focused deep dive (June 2019): State Commitments: Merkle, Verkle, and Proof Sizes.
- Light Clients: Trust Minimization Without Full ReplicationMay 1, 2019 · 4 min
Threat-model-first analysis (May 2019): Light Clients: Trust Minimization Without Full Replication.
- Finality and Reorgs: What Users Think vs What Protocols ProvideApril 1, 2019 · 4 min
Engineering notebook entry (April 2019): Finality and Reorgs: What Users Think vs What Protocols Provide.
- Gossip Networks: Propagation, Eclipse Attacks, and TopologyMarch 1, 2019 · 4 min
Adversarial-first deep dive (March 2019): Gossip Networks: Propagation, Eclipse Attacks, and Topology.
- Mempool Design Under Adversarial Load: Admission, Fees, and SpamFebruary 1, 2019 · 4 min
Adversarial-first deep dive (February 2019): Mempool Design Under Adversarial Load: Admission, Fees, and Spam.
- The Ledger as a State Machine: Execution, Determinism, and ReproducibilityJanuary 1, 2019 · 4 min
Adversarial-first deep dive (January 2019): The Ledger as a State Machine: Execution, Determinism, and Reproducibility.
2018
- Incident Response for Crypto Systems: Key Compromise PlaybooksDecember 1, 2018 · 4 min
Correctness-focused deep dive (December 2018): Incident Response for Crypto Systems: Key Compromise Playbooks.
- KMS/HSM Threat Models: When 'Managed' Doesn't Mean 'Safe'November 1, 2018 · 4 min
Correctness-focused deep dive (November 2018): KMS/HSM Threat Models: When 'Managed' Doesn't Mean 'Safe'.
- Multi-Tenant Isolation: Crypto Boundaries vs Kernel BoundariesOctober 1, 2018 · 4 min
Spec-driven research note (October 2018): Multi-Tenant Isolation: Crypto Boundaries vs Kernel Boundaries.
- Cryptographic Agility: Designing for the Algorithm You Haven't Met YetSeptember 1, 2018 · 4 min
Threat-model-first analysis (September 2018): Cryptographic Agility: Designing for the Algorithm You Haven't Met Yet.
- Logging for Forensics: Tamper Evident Event PipelinesAugust 1, 2018 · 4 min
Adversarial-first deep dive (August 2018): Logging for Forensics: Tamper Evident Event Pipelines.
- TLS Beyond Defaults: Ciphersuites, ALPN, and Operational RealityJuly 1, 2018 · 4 min
Spec-driven research note (July 2018): TLS Beyond Defaults: Ciphersuites, ALPN, and Operational Reality.
- Secure Firmware Updates: Signed Manifests and Rollback ProtectionJune 1, 2018 · 4 min
Spec-driven research note (June 2018): Secure Firmware Updates: Signed Manifests and Rollback Protection.
- Side Channels: Constant-Time, Cache Attacks, and Real Threat ModelsMay 1, 2018 · 4 min
Adversarial-first deep dive (May 2018): Side Channels: Constant-Time, Cache Attacks, and Real Threat Models.
- Hardware Roots of Trust: TPM, Secure Boot, and AttestationApril 1, 2018 · 4 min
Correctness-focused deep dive (April 2018): Hardware Roots of Trust: TPM, Secure Boot, and Attestation.
- Secrets vs Capabilities: Token Design in MicroservicesMarch 1, 2018 · 4 min
Design memo (March 2018): Secrets vs Capabilities: Token Design in Microservices.
- Key Management at Scale: Rotation, Audit, and Blast RadiusFebruary 1, 2018 · 4 min
Spec-driven research note (February 2018): Key Management at Scale: Rotation, Audit, and Blast Radius.
- PKI as an Operating System: Certificates, Policies, and ExpirationJanuary 1, 2018 · 4 min
Correctness-focused deep dive (January 2018): PKI as an Operating System: Certificates, Policies, and Expiration.
2017
- A Minimal TLA+ Workflow for Distributed ProtocolsDecember 1, 2017 · 4 min
Spec-driven research note (December 2017): A Minimal TLA+ Workflow for Distributed Protocols.
- Designing for Network Partitions: Degraded Modes That Still Make SenseNovember 1, 2017 · 4 min
Engineering notebook entry (November 2017): Designing for Network Partitions: Degraded Modes That Still Make Sense.
- Rate Limiting and Fairness: Protecting Critical PathsOctober 1, 2017 · 4 min
Design memo (October 2017): Rate Limiting and Fairness: Protecting Critical Paths.
- Queues & Streams: Exactly-Once Semantics Without Lying to YourselfSeptember 1, 2017 · 4 min
Design memo (September 2017): Queues & Streams: Exactly-Once Semantics Without Lying to Yourself.
- Geo-Replication: Latency Budgets and Cross-Region Failure ModesAugust 1, 2017 · 4 min
Threat-model-first analysis (August 2017): Geo-Replication: Latency Budgets and Cross-Region Failure Modes.
- Gossip & Epidemic Dissemination: Fast, Probabilistic, and WeirdJuly 1, 2017 · 3 min
Threat-model-first analysis (July 2017): Gossip & Epidemic Dissemination: Fast, Probabilistic, and Weird.
- Transactions: 2PC, 3PC, and Coordinators You Can't TrustJune 1, 2017 · 3 min
Design memo (June 2017): Transactions: 2PC, 3PC, and Coordinators You Can't Trust.
Design memo (May 2017): Consistency Models: Linearizability, Serializability, and What You Actually Need.
- Membership & Reconfiguration: Changing the Set Without Breaking SafetyApril 1, 2017 · 3 min
Adversarial-first deep dive (April 2017): Membership & Reconfiguration: Changing the Set Without Breaking Safety.
- BFT from First Principles: Safety, Liveness, and QuorumsMarch 1, 2017 · 4 min
Adversarial-first deep dive (March 2017): BFT from First Principles: Safety, Liveness, and Quorums.
- Consensus Under Partial Synchrony: From Paxos to RaftFebruary 1, 2017 · 4 min
Correctness-focused deep dive (February 2017): Consensus Under Partial Synchrony: From Paxos to Raft.
- State Machine Replication: Log Design, Snapshots, and CompactionJanuary 1, 2017 · 3 min
Adversarial-first deep dive (January 2017): State Machine Replication: Log Design, Snapshots, and Compaction.
2016
- Security vs Reliability: When the Same Bug Has Two NamesDecember 1, 2016 · 4 min
Correctness-focused deep dive (December 2016): Security vs Reliability: When the Same Bug Has Two Names.
- Reproducible Builds: Trusting Artifacts in a Hostile WorldNovember 1, 2016 · 4 min
Threat-model-first analysis (November 2016): Reproducible Builds: Trusting Artifacts in a Hostile World.
- Observability as Specification: SLOs, Error Budgets, and ContractsOctober 1, 2016 · 4 min
Design memo (October 2016): Observability as Specification: SLOs, Error Budgets, and Contracts.
- Fault Injection: Turning Unknown Unknowns into Test CasesSeptember 1, 2016 · 4 min
Spec-driven research note (September 2016): Fault Injection: Turning Unknown Unknowns into Test Cases.
- Memory Models and Concurrency: Reasoning About RacesAugust 1, 2016 · 4 min
Threat-model-first analysis (August 2016): Memory Models and Concurrency: Reasoning About Races.
- Crash Consistency: Durable State Without MysticismJuly 1, 2016 · 4 min
Engineering notebook entry (July 2016): Crash Consistency: Durable State Without Mysticism.
- Cryptographic Hygiene: Domain Separation, KDFs, and Context BindingJune 1, 2016 · 4 min
Threat-model-first analysis (June 2016): Cryptographic Hygiene: Domain Separation, KDFs, and Context Binding.
- Threat Modeling for Engineers: Assumptions as InterfacesMay 1, 2016 · 4 min
Correctness-focused deep dive (May 2016): Threat Modeling for Engineers: Assumptions as Interfaces.
- Time Is a Lie: Clocks, Causality, and OrderingApril 1, 2016 · 4 min
Adversarial-first deep dive (April 2016): Time Is a Lie: Clocks, Causality, and Ordering.
- Backpressure as a Correctness Property: Stability Under LoadMarch 1, 2016 · 4 min
Design memo (March 2016): Backpressure as a Correctness Property: Stability Under Load.
- Idempotency Everywhere: Designing Safe Retries in Distributed APIsFebruary 1, 2016 · 4 min
Correctness-focused deep dive (February 2016): Idempotency Everywhere: Designing Safe Retries in Distributed APIs.
- Protocol State Machines: Invariants, Events, and RecoveryJanuary 1, 2016 · 4 min
Design memo (January 2016): Protocol State Machines: Invariants, Events, and Recovery.