10 crypto leaders on ways devs can increase the security of bridge protocols

cointelegraph.com:

In March 2022, the developers of the Ronin bridge announced a hack in which $612 million was taken in just two fraudulent transactions. It was a blow that struck at the very foundations of crypto’s potential: If transactions between blockchains can’t be effectively secured, the industry will remain fragmented.

The development of new blockchain bridges has taken off in recent years, and it’s essential for devs to take heed of the lessons from the Ronin hack. Below, 10 members of Cointelegraph Innovation Circle discuss strategies devs can leverage to increase the security of bridge protocols—it’s a challenge that may take more than careful coding.

Devs must ensure their design is flawless and that their bridge protocol is implemented precisely following the design. Additionally, they should ensure admin keys and relayer keys are private. Last but not least, they should schedule proper security audits and checks before deployment and upgrades. – Yaoqi Jia, AltLayer

Ensuring the security of bridge protocols will call for extra scrutiny from developers. They must actively conduct source code auditing both internally and externally (with trustworthy sources). They must make it a habit to find loopholes and follow a set procedure to locate areas that can be exploited by hackers. – Vinita Rathi, Systango

Before deploying their bridges, developers should perform rigorous source code audits internally and with unbiased, neutral external parties. Audits must be complete and thorough to minimize potential weaknesses. Even a minor error in a smart contract, such as one bad line of code, can be exploited by hackers. Eventually, the most secure could serve as templates and standards for new developers. – Sheraz Ahmed, STORM Partners

Audits