[ad_1]
Your start phrase is one of the most important parts of your crypto wallet. It allows you to access your crypto wallet and stored funds even if your wallet has been lost or deleted. Needless to say, you need to keep your seed phrase safe to protect access to your crypto assets. But how can you safely store your seed phrase, and what storage mistakes should you avoid?
How to safely store your crypto seed phrase
There is no perfect way to securely store your crypto seed phrase, but the following should help you along the way.
1. Separation of the starting sentences Image credit: FlippyFlink / Wikimedia Commons
A seed sentence usually contains between 12 and 24 random words. While it’s virtually impossible for someone to guess, they can instantly access your crypto funds if they find your seed phrase. However, with nothing less than the entire seed sentence, cybercriminals will not be able to touch those funds. This is why splitting the seeds is a great idea.
Seed splitting involves splitting your seed phrase into two or more sections and storing each section safely. You can do it virtually and physically. However, physical storage tends to be more secure, as it eliminates the possibility of cybercrime or system malfunction (both of which can lead to the ultimate loss of your crypto funds). You can do this in several ways, which will be discussed later here. One of the best ways to store a split seed phrase is on or in a steel plate or capsule.
USE VIDEO OF THE DAY 2. A secure steel plate or capsule
Steel plates and capsules allow you to physically store your start phrase or divide your start phrases easily and securely. There are several different types of these products, including Ledger’s Cryptosteel capsule and their Blindfodl steel plate. TREZOR and ELLIPAL also offer similar products.
So how do they work?
A steel capsule works by separating each word of your start phrase using both character plates and separator plates. It then locks them together securely using a deep wire that holds the capsule shell and core together.
Related: The Best Hardware Crypto Wallets For Your Funds
The Cryptosteel capsule is designed to withstand extreme conditions and can store up to 123 individual characters. If you want to split your start sentence, consider purchasing two capsules or storing part of the sentence in the capsule and part of it in a separate secure place.
The same goes for steel plates, although they are not designed exactly the same. For example, Ledger’s Blindfodl plate also comes with small engraved keys, but can only store 96 characters, instead of the 123 in the Cryptosteel capsule. Such plates are also designed to resist fire, water and tampering. While these forms of storage of course cost more than a piece of paper or a storage app, they’re highly secure and certainly a solid option for keeping that seed phrase super safe.
3. A hard drive
The advantage of hard drives, such as a regular USB flash drive, is that they allow offline storage of your seed phrase. They are also very accessible and affordable, unlike other storage options. You can find hard drives in just about any tech store, unlike engraved plates or capsules, but there is one glaring downside with these devices: They aren’t designed to be secure.
So if you keep your hard drive super-secure, you should be fine. However, should he fall into the hands of a criminal, he can very easily plug this player into any laptop or computer and access your seed phrase. You can split your seed phrase between two or more discs, making it much more difficult to access, but they will still be easy to infiltrate if found.
You should also use a drive that is not being used for anything else as this may cause the seed phrase location to be lost on the drive or leave it somewhere after using it for something else.
4. A physical hiding place
If you want to store your seed phrase in a way that completely negates the use of technology, using paper is an option. However, this is not a good idea if you plan to store your entire sentence on a single sheet of paper in an easily accessible location. So, again, we strongly recommend that you divide the seeds and multiple secure stashes if you want to store your seed phrase this way. But what is considered a “good” hiding place?
It depends on the layout of your home, but there are some common items you can hide your split sentences in. Consider: a book, under a floor, in the zipper of your office chair, or even behind a jar label – the darker the better.
3 seed phrase storage options to avoid
Now, let’s discuss the storage options to avoid to keep your seed phrase safe. While these options may seem cheaper or easier, it’s important to keep security a top priority when storing your seed phrase. So what should you avoid?
1. A password management application Image credit: Santeri Viinamäki / Wikimedia Commons
Password manager apps are a lot like Crocs. Some think they’re great, some think they’re unnecessary (or, in this case, too risky). While storing social media logins and similar information on password manager apps can be a convenient option, these apps should never be used to store your lead phrase.
Related: Will Biometric Technology Replace Passwords?
Password manager apps often require a simple password to access them, which means they can be easily infiltrated by cybercriminals. Plus, if your phone is malfunctioning, you run the risk of losing your seed phrase altogether. So leave the password manager for less important login information and passphrases.
2. Take a photo of your opening sentence
It is one of the riskiest forms of seed expression storage. Never store your start line by simply taking a picture of it, as this makes it accessible to anyone with access to your phone. Additionally, if you have automatic cloud backup, you’ll upload your seed phrase to your cloud storage, and if someone violates it, they’ll have access to your phrase.
You can also lose your seed phrase permanently if your phone malfunctions or needs to be reset before you think about moving the phrase. So be sure to avoid this storage method at all costs!
3. Using an online seed collection site
There are two major drawbacks to using a seed collection site. Firstly, if you don’t check the legitimacy of the site first, you risk giving cybercriminals your lead. At this point, it’s pretty much the end of the game for your crypto funds.
Additionally, a seed phrase recovery site involves storing your seed phrase online. This, again, is dangerous, given that the site is vulnerable to hacking. So avoid these sites.
A seed phrase is more than just a password
Unlike a regular password, a seed phrase cannot be changed, so it must always be secure and accessible to you. Additionally, if you have a considerable amount of funds in your crypto wallet, losing your seed phrase or having it stolen can result in the loss of large sums of money. So, be sure to take the tips above into account to ensure that your seed phrase is always well protected.
What you need to know about taxes on bitcoin and cryptocurrencies
Read more
About the author Katie Rees (104 published articles)
Katie is a writer at MUO and has experience writing travel and mental health content. She is particularly interested in Samsung and has therefore chosen to focus on Android in her position at MUO. She has written pieces for IMNOTABARISTA, Tourmeric and Vocal in the past, including one of her favorite pieces about staying positive and strong through tough times, which can be found at the link above. Outside of her professional life, Katie enjoys growing plants, cooking and practicing yoga.
More from Katie Rees Subscribe to our newsletter
Join our newsletter for technical tips, reviews, free ebooks and exclusive offers!
Click here to subscribe
|
Sources 2/ https://www.makeuseof.com/store-crypto-seed-phrases/ The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article |
[ad_2]