“It will become easy for any developer to use blockchain without having to be a security expert,” said OpenZeppelin’s head of product.
Stephen Graves3 min read
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Crypto cybersecurity company OpenZeppelin today announced the launch of Defender version 2.0, an upgrade to its blockchain developer security system.
According to a press release shared with Decrypt, the upgrade will bring end-to-end security practices, from the development stage up to deploying and maintaining a blockchain-based project.
“We offer users the features they need to enable security best practices, and allow them to be integrated in every step of their project’s life cycle,” Roy Zanbel, head of product for OpenZeppelin told Decrypt.
OpenZeppelin’s Defender is a security operational platform. It allows crypto developers to oversee the smart contracts used in their projects and manage upgrades, API key management, and automate scripts for their smart contracts.
“The upgraded Defender platform is designed to bridge the very best from Web2 security practices into the world of Web3,” read a statement from OpenZeppelin.
So as to get feedback from a wider user base, Zanbel said, Defender 2.0 is already fully operational despite launching in beta, with four major modules online.
They range from highlighting potential vulnerabilities when teams publish their code on GitHub, through a unique set of machine learning tools from OpenZeppelin, to an auditing module for streamlining the process of tracking and correcting vulnerabilities.
A deployment module ensures projects are compliant with security best practices upon launch, while a Monitor, Operate, and Respond module allows for instant detection and reaction in case of what OpenZeppelin calls a potential “black swan" event.
Zanbel explained to Decrypt that the crypto industry has matured when it comes to code, adding that with products like Defender 2.0, “It will become easy for any developer to use blockchain without having to be a security expert.”
Defending against DeFi hacks
The DeFi space has been no stranger to hacks over the years. Just this year the industry has been hit by exploits affecting projects such as Curve Finance and RocketSwap.
Zanbel argued that these and other exploits have delayed mainstream adoption of DeFi. “Blockchain security issues have been causing the embracement of this truly amazing technology to be slower than it could have been,” he told Decrypt, adding that, “with better tooling and processes,” OpenZeppelin “foresees more companies joining the Web3 space.”
With support for over 30 blockchains including Ethereum, Polygon, and Base among others, Defender 2.0 aims to become the “standard for security,” said OpenZeppelin security lead Michael Lewellin.
