The new NetBSD entropy subsystem by Taylor R Campbell

Taylor R Campbell presents the design, cryptography, and performance of the rewritten NetBSD kernel entropy subsystem.

This talk will present the new NetBSD kernel entropy subsystem after it was rewritten in 2020. The talk will cover the design and rationale of the new implementation, how it addresses various performance and security concerns, a high-level overview of the underlying cryptography, and issues with userland APIs and the repercussions of blocking. Taylor R Campbell Taylor ‘Riastradh’ Campbell has been a NetBSD developer since 2011, with work in various areas including cryptography, and is a member of the NetBSD core team and The NetBSD Foundation board.