Cryptocurrencies have become a popular method of payment or investment for many. When you transfer your Crypto funds from your account, you’re taking the responsibility of those finances away from the exchange and placing it fully on yourself. This is where keeping your crypto private keys safe comes in. In this article, we’ll cover 5 ways that you can use to keep your Crypto Keys safe.
What is a Private Key?
When you create either a hardware or software wallet, you’ll be given a bunch of seed phrases. This will be your password or key and will be made up of 12 to 24 words. These seed phrases function as your digital key to access your crypto storage. There are a few things you want to avoid doing with these seed phrases.
Firstly, avoid saving them on any platform or device that connects to the internet unless it’s a protected vault (even then, anything can be cracked right?). Writing them on a piece of paper or a metal wallet is a great alternative to this.
Secondly, avoid writing your seed phrases on one piece of paper. Dividing your seed phrases is the perfect way to keep them safe. Not to mention, if one of your copies gets damaged you’ll at least have a spare. Finally, Avoid storing them all in one spot as well, this kind of defeats the purpose of splitting the code if you do. Keep in mind that these suggestions all refer to keeping a hard copy of your keys, but there are other ways to keep them safe which we’ll discuss later.
Why You Should Store Your Private Key Securely
Ever heard the saying, “With great power, comes great responsibility” While this saying eco’s a hero’s responsibility, it’s filled with ambiguity. As you build your wealth in cryptocurrency, you’re in essence building an asset, which you have a responsibility to protect right?
Take the Winklevoss Twins as an example. They’re crypto billionaires and they do all they can to protect their private keys, including keeping the seed phrases split in multiple locations. Their actions show us the necessity of keeping our private keys secure. Here are some key reasons you should consider for protecting your Private Keys:
- Protecting your private key is crucial for safeguarding your cryptocurrency investments.
- Secure storage ensures that only you can use your cryptocurrency, preventing unauthorized access.
- Protecting your private key keeps your assets safe from online threats and hacking.
- Secure storage reduces the risk of losing access to your crypto assets.
- Knowing your private key is safe allows you to focus on your investments without worry.
- Proper security of your private key is vital for growing and preserving your cryptocurrency wealth.
5 Ways to Store Your Private Key Securely
While you can be cautious by keeping your physical copy of your private keys safe, there are several alternative methods you can use. Here they are:
- Cold Storage
Cold Storage is a great way of keeping your keys safe. It pretty much refers to keeping your private keys offline by using a device that is cut from the internet. You can do this by creating an air-gapped computer, which is a PC that is physically incapable of connecting to the web. Or you can use a dedicated offline device (like a hardware wallet) solely for key storage.
- Hardware Wallet
Hardware wallets are devices that are specifically designed to keep your crypto keys offline and secure. They often resemble a USB drive. They function as a portable key to all of your crypto assets. Certain Crypto organizations sell their own hardware wallets designed to work through the systems. A few examples are Ledger Nano S, Ledger Nano X, and Trezor.
- Crypto Vaults
Certain exchanges or platforms provide crypto vaults to their users. Like a bank vault, crypto vaults store your private keys and crypto at a secure location. They have great security but do require a level of trust by the user. Some great crypto vaults include Coinbase, Metamask, and Binance.
- Encrypted USB
To enhance the security of your private keys, consider using an encrypted USB drive. Begin by encrypting the USB drive with robust encryption software, and then save your private keys onto it. Gilisoft USB Encryption, Drivecrypt, and Axcrypt are great software to use. It’s crucial to keep the USB drive in a physically secure location when you’re not actively using it, adding an extra layer of protection to your private keys.
- Password Managers
Password managers offer a convenient method for securely storing seed phrases. To ensure the safety of your cryptocurrency-related information, opt for a reputable and highly secure password manager. Some great password managers include Dashlane, 1Password, and Keeper. Within the password manager, utilize encrypted vaults to store your sensitive data.
Additionally, create a strong master password to further protect your crypto assets. Strong passwords are your first line of defense among other security measures. You should always ensure that your password ranks well in strength. Two-factor authentication is also a great security measure to activate. It’ll ensure that if someone gets your password by chance, they still will be unable to access your keys.
