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Heartbleed And IB Authentication?
Pynance IO
edited Apr 12, 2014

After the recent Heartbleed fiasco affecting nearly everything we do online, (the email I got from Quantopian was a really nice thing to see, while on the subject), I think we're all a bit interested in what that means for financial instruments online.

So, can we get a brief description of the IB interface process, and what tech is involved from an authentication protocol and security perspective? I know that the hand-off of this type of data is a sensitive issue, and I am hoping to get some assurance, and at least a slightly-better-than layman understanding of what that process looks like.

I am familiar with IB's TWS (as many here, I am sure, are), and a bit with their API (haven't implemented but have seen some of the tools people have built using it) so can you let us know how Quantopian uses existing tech to talk to IB?

1 response
Alisa Deychman
Apr 14, 2014

I'd be happy to give a high-level overview of the IB integration architecture. We pass your IB password through ssl to the standard IB gateway software. It travels via ssl from your browser to our infrastructure, where it is submitted to the gateway. Your username and password are then authenticated by IB's gateway software in the same way as when you log into TWS on your desktop. This password is never stored or logged by Quantopian.

We have no reason to believe that any data was compromised by Heartbleed. Nonetheless, we do strongly recommend that you change your Quantopian and IB passwords as precautionary measures.

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The material on this website is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell, a solicitation to buy, or a recommendation or endorsement for any security or strategy, nor does it constitute an offer to provide investment advisory services by Quantopian. In addition, the material offers no opinion with respect to the suitability of any security or specific investment. No information contained herein should be regarded as a suggestion to engage in or refrain from any investment-related course of action as none of Quantopian nor any of its affiliates is undertaking to provide investment advice, act as an adviser to any plan or entity subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, individual retirement account or individual retirement annuity, or give advice in a fiduciary capacity with respect to the materials presented herein. If you are an individual retirement or other investor, contact your financial advisor or other fiduciary unrelated to Quantopian about whether any given investment idea, strategy, product or service described herein may be appropriate for your circumstances. All investments involve risk, including loss of principal. Quantopian makes no guarantees as to the accuracy or completeness of the views expressed in the website. The views are subject to change, and may have become unreliable for various reasons, including changes in market conditions or economic circumstances.

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The material on this website is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell, a solicitation to buy, or a recommendation or endorsement for any security or strategy, nor does it constitute an offer to provide investment advisory services by Quantopian.

In addition, the material offers no opinion with respect to the suitability of any security or specific investment. No information contained herein should be regarded as a suggestion to engage in or refrain from any investment-related course of action as none of Quantopian nor any of its affiliates is undertaking to provide investment advice, act as an adviser to any plan or entity subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, individual retirement account or individual retirement annuity, or give advice in a fiduciary capacity with respect to the materials presented herein. If you are an individual retirement or other investor, contact your financial advisor or other fiduciary unrelated to Quantopian about whether any given investment idea, strategy, product or service described herein may be appropriate for your circumstances. All investments involve risk, including loss of principal. Quantopian makes no guarantees as to the accuracy or completeness of the views expressed in the website. The views are subject to change, and may have become unreliable for various reasons, including changes in market conditions or economic circumstances.