Bringing honest computing to the WASM world

Etienne Bossé - Secretarium

In this talk, we will introduce the concept of honest computing and why the need for it has never been more critical. Honest computing envisions system that prioritise data and code integrity, enable accountability and provide confidentiality by design and by default in an attestable and demonstrable manner. These systems operate transparently, ensuring reliability without hidden agendas or biases.

We will then see how the WebAssembly (Wasm) ecosystem fits perfectly in this vision. Its portable, sandboxed execution environment and deterministic builds provide the foundation for secure, verifiable computation. By combining the Wasm ecosystem with technologies like Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs) and distributed ledgers, Wasm empowers developers to build “honest applications” that uphold integrity and accountability at all times.

This talk explores how Wasm’s unique characteristics such as its format, memory sandboxing, and portability make it an ideal building block for developers and an essential tool for broader adoption of honest computing. We will explore practical architectures, demonstrate how the Wasm ecosystem integrates within honest computing, and showcase some real-world examples.

By the end, you will have a better understanding on what is Honest Computing, why it matters and how to leverage Wasm to build honest application in your software.