CypherCosmo on Nostr: Why it's hard to trust software, but you mostly have to anyway ...

Why it's hard to trust software, but you mostly have to anyway
https://educatedguesswork.org/posts/ensuring-software-provenance

# Core Problem

Software users must trust vendors despite security risks, with limited practical ways to verify software integrity
and security.

# Key Verification Methods

- Code signing & package verification
- App store distribution & controls
- Binary transparency systems
- Source code review & reproducible builds

# Major Challenges

- Source review is impractical due to code volume and complexity
- Reproducible builds are technically difficult
- Supply chains involve multiple trust points
- Targeted attacks are hard to detect
- Verification tools themselves require trust

# Current Reality

While some security measures exist (open source, reproducible builds, binary transparency), complete elimination of trust in software vendors remains impossible. Users must ultimately trust some combination of:

- Software vendors
- Operating system providers
- App store operators
- Package managers
- Hardware manufacturers

originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/836357