Systemic security challenges in blockchain initiatives often emerge early in the development phase. Failure to prioritize security initially can lead to the adoption of flawed architectures or insecure design and development decisions, resulting in solutions that are either vulnerable or difficult to maintain. While traditional security assessments can uncover certain issues, they may not be conducted early enough to address critical issues that could have been mitigated during the design and development phases.

To assist clients in proactively identifying and resolving potential security vulnerabilities at the outset of a project, Trail of Bits is introducing a new service: the Early Stage Security Review. This service, which has already garnered significant interest from our clients, is particularly beneficial for nascent projects that are still evolving in terms of code, documentation, testing, and technical solutions. As part of this service offering, Trail of Bits engineers will conduct a comprehensive review of a project, encompassing the following key aspects:

• Evaluation of architectural components
• Analysis of risk mitigation strategies
• Identification of security practice gaps
• Assessment of code maturity
• Tailored design recommendations
• Brief code review focusing on critical project areas
• Provision of actionable advice, recommendations, and next steps to enhance the project’s security posture

Addressing Potential Issues Early On

The Early Stage Security Review delivers a holistic security assessment of your project’s design and framework, aimed at guiding developers and security stakeholders throughout the project’s lifecycle. Drawing upon our extensive experience in code review across diverse domains such as smart contracts, bridges, decentralized finance, and gaming applications, we prioritize security considerations in your project’s development. Moreover, we leverage our profound expertise in blockchain nodes (L1 and L2), particularly those based on geth.

Our early-stage review will concentrate on identifying areas for enhancement, including:

• Evaluation of Architectural Components: Reviewing architectural decisions for risks, ensuring proper privilege separation in access controls, simplifying code complexity, validating decentralization claims, suggesting on-chain/off-chain logic separation, and assessing upgradeability processes like migration and pausable mechanisms.
• Risk Mitigation Analysis: Identifying existing risks and proposing mitigations, considering MEV and Oracle risks, evaluating blockchain risks (e.g., reorgs), examining handling of common ERCs, and assessing risks associated with third-party component integration.
• Identification of Security Practice Gaps: Pinpointing gaps in security practices, reviewing documentation for issues, evaluating the adequacy of testing for long-term project health, assessing the monitoring plan, and recommending enhancements in automated security tool utilization.
• Code Maturity Evaluation: Assessing the protocol’s maturity through reviews and providing actionable recommendations for security enhancements.
• Tailored Design Recommendations: Customizing our review based on the project’s specific needs and requirements, offering recommendations aligned with the protocol’s business logic.
• Brief Code Review of Critical Areas: Scrutinizing the code to understand the technical solution and identify potential security issues at a surface level, without an exhaustive search for vulnerabilities during the early-stage review.

Clients opting for our Early Stage Security Review will benefit from prioritized scheduling and pricing for blockchain and other Trail of Bits services. Insights gained from the initial review will streamline the comprehensive review process post substantial development progress.

Proactively Address Security Concerns

Engaging in the early-stage security review service will enable you to:

• Establish a Robust Security Foundation: Timely feedback lays the groundwork for secure solutions, minimizing the risk of overlooking critical security aspects.
• Receive Expert Guidance Early On: Tailored recommendations for your specific codebase empower you to make informed decisions and bolster your protocol’s security posture.
• Mitigate Costs by Preventing Late Refactoring: Adopting a proactive security stance from the project’s inception helps avoid costly refactoring in later stages and enhances the development cycle’s efficiency.

Avoid delaying security prioritization until your project reaches the code completion stage. Reach out to us now to leverage our expertise in securing your project right from the start.