Shard Switch

The Shard Switch is a robust failsafe mechanism designed to guarantee the continuity of Cipherwill's operations, even in the face of unforeseen disruptions. This system leverages Shamir's Secret Sharing, a cryptographic method that splits a secret into multiple parts. To reconstruct the original secret, a predefined threshold of these parts must be combined, creating a decentralized and secure framework.

How It Works

To enhance security and resilience, Cipherwill's secret is distributed among seven trusted keyholders, ensuring no single individual has full control. Keyholders perform regular "check-ins" typically once a week - to confirm the platform's operational integrity. These check-ins act as a "heartbeat" for the system, verifying that everything is functioning as expected.

If keyholders miss a predefined number of check-ins or if another activation trigger occurs, the system engages a dead man's switch. At this point, keyholders collaborate to combine their secret shares and reconstruct the critical information required to activate contingency protocols, ensuring uninterrupted platform functionality.

Key Benefits

• Decentralized Security: By dividing the secret among multiple keyholders, the system eliminates single points of failure.
• Operational Continuity: Regular check-ins and a dead man's switch ensure that Cipherwill remains functional under extreme circumstances.
• User Assurance: This approach builds users' trust in the system and shows Cipherwill's dedication to protecting digital legacies.

Future Enhancements

As Cipherwill evolves, we plan to expand the Shard Switch mechanism to include:

• Community Keyholders: Trusted members of our user community will take on keyholder roles, further decentralizing the system.
• Third-Party Providers: Industry-leading infrastructure partners like Google Cloud, Azure, and AWS will be integrated as additional keyholders (automated watchdog systems with backup deployments). These external stakeholders will enhance the platform's resilience by distributing responsibility across a broader network.

This collaborative approach strengthens the system's security and guarantees operational continuity, even in scenarios where the company itself faces challenges.

Addressing Potential Risks

While decentralizing keyholder roles adds resilience, it also introduces dependencies. To mitigate these risks:

• All keyholders, internal and external adhere to strict security protocols and regular audits.
• The threshold for secret reconstruction ensures that operations remain secure even if some keyholders are unavailable.

By combining cryptographic methods with a collaborative model, Cipherwill ensures that your digital legacy remains protected, no matter what challenges arise.