Halborn Logo

// Case Studies

Case Study: Securing the Frontier of Decentralized Applications with Ava Labs

Featured partner:

Featured Partner

Overview of the Client

Ava Labs, a trailblazer in the blockchain sector, develops an innovative open-source platform tailored for building custom L1s, decentralized applications (dApps), and enterprise blockchain solutions. Renowned for its swift transaction speeds and economic efficiency, Avalanche Is setting new standards in the blockchain domain, aiming to redefine the benchmarks for decentralized technologies.

Avalanche Bridge prides itself on giving users a simple interface and seamless experience moving assets to and from the Avalanche ecosystem. The Avalanche Bridge architecture consists of a wardens-based system and an enclave, or a secure, private codebase. There are eight “wardens”, each operated by Avascan, BWare Labs, Halborn, Chainstack, Protofire, Blockdaemon, Ankr, and Ava Labs that watch for and relay cross-chain information to the secure enclave.

Client's Challenge

For the Avalanche Bridge, Ava Labs collaborates with Halborn to include DevOps support, integrating Halborn’s engineers with their own teams to ensure continuous operational stability and security.

Additionally, Ava Labs has historically partnered with Halborn to conduct a comprehensive security review of its extensive ecosystem, including smart contracts, mobile applications, browser extensions, SDKs, and node implementations. These engagements aimed to fortify every aspect of the Avalanche platform. 

Halborn's Solution

Halborn deployed a multi-faceted strategy that included:

  • Deploying specialized resources for detailed audits and pentests tailored to Ava Labs' diverse components.

  • Providing adaptive support that evolved alongside Ava Labs' project, ensuring continuous protection and oversight as the platform expanded.

  • Offering comprehensive DevOps support to safeguard infrastructure stability, including the management of validators on cloud platforms, security enhancements, and infrastructure optimization. This support covered a wide range of operations, from running validators in AWS, implementing security updates and infrastructure hardening, to ensuring regular deployment and 24/7 backup for any incident. Operational automation, monitoring, and logging for the infrastructure were also integral components of this service, demonstrating Halborn's commitment to maintaining the highest standards of security and operational efficiency.

Going Above and Beyond

Halborn's commitment to Ava Labs’ success was demonstrated through:

  • Regular weekly and ad-hoc meetings to monitor project progress, align on objectives, and provide support on specific tasks, issues, and launches.

  • Continuous deployment support for both Testnet and Mainnet, including updating Kubernetes clusters, maintaining nodes, and setting up comprehensive monitoring and alerting systems.

  • Partnering on new architectures to enhance community trust and reduce operational costs.

Organizations powered by blockchain technology and decentralized applications can greatly benefit from Halborn's comprehensive security and DevOps services. Halborn's multidisciplinary team is equipped to protect and support projects across a wide range of assets and stages of development, from initial audits to continuous operational support. By leveraging Halborn's expertise, clients can ensure their projects not only meet the highest security standards but also maintain operational excellence and stability in the dynamic and evolving blockchain industry.