EDIT: The reason why the Balthazar project might be of interest to the average person is because bad actors are constantly trying to install ransomware, spyware, and other malware on your computer.
For example:
https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/ransomware-costs-may-have-hit-170/
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/25/us/nsa-hacking-tool-baltimore.html
https://boingboing.net/2019/05/06/cyberspy-vs-spy.html
https://www.cryptoglobe.com/latest/2020/01/crypto-consultant-kidnapped-in-thailand-for-1-million-bitcoin-ransom/
https://www.engadget.com/2019-09-27-us-voting-machines-hackers-2020-election.html
The more open and auditable the hardware and software, the fewer places that such attackers can hide.
In addition, as cryptocurrencies become more widely adopted, and people store increasingly large amounts of wealth in their crypto wallets, the more incentive thieves have to find/install exploits in the hardware and low level code.
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If you want to support open hardware, secure computing the Balthazar project may be of interest:
"Balthazar projects is to design and deliver an innovative and technically advanced open hardware (RISC-V/ISA) based, European made, inexpensive, FOSS laptop as a personal computing device, containing on board all desirable (FOSS compliant) hardware and software features and functionalities needed to prevent any 3rd party intrusion into the system. It adds physical safety features currently not available in the market such as hot-swappable CPU, hardwired switches for e.g. camera and audio devices, and a quickly removable encrypted hard drive and peripherals.
A goal of Balthazar is to enable and educate end users to be private, safe and careful with their own data, and that of others. Another goal is to make computing more sustainable and reach eco-friendly footprint, by empowering users to take up their 'right to repair', through a modular laptop that allows components to be easily exchanged and upgraded - up to the CPU itself."
https://nlnet.nl/project/Balthazar/
https://balthazar.space/
For example:
https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/ransomware-costs-may-have-hit-170/
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/25/us/nsa-hacking-tool-baltimore.html
https://boingboing.net/2019/05/06/cyberspy-vs-spy.html
https://www.cryptoglobe.com/latest/2020/01/crypto-consultant-kidnapped-in-thailand-for-1-million-bitcoin-ransom/
https://www.engadget.com/2019-09-27-us-voting-machines-hackers-2020-election.html
The more open and auditable the hardware and software, the fewer places that such attackers can hide.
In addition, as cryptocurrencies become more widely adopted, and people store increasingly large amounts of wealth in their crypto wallets, the more incentive thieves have to find/install exploits in the hardware and low level code.
--------------------
If you want to support open hardware, secure computing the Balthazar project may be of interest:
"Balthazar projects is to design and deliver an innovative and technically advanced open hardware (RISC-V/ISA) based, European made, inexpensive, FOSS laptop as a personal computing device, containing on board all desirable (FOSS compliant) hardware and software features and functionalities needed to prevent any 3rd party intrusion into the system. It adds physical safety features currently not available in the market such as hot-swappable CPU, hardwired switches for e.g. camera and audio devices, and a quickly removable encrypted hard drive and peripherals.
A goal of Balthazar is to enable and educate end users to be private, safe and careful with their own data, and that of others. Another goal is to make computing more sustainable and reach eco-friendly footprint, by empowering users to take up their 'right to repair', through a modular laptop that allows components to be easily exchanged and upgraded - up to the CPU itself."
https://nlnet.nl/project/Balthazar/
https://balthazar.space/