Today I saw another post about losing crypto due to clicking on a phishing link, and I think it’s necessary to talk about how to protect your cryptocurrency assets again.
I introduced it in my previous article What’s the safest way to keep cryptocurrency? I’m not a security expert, I’ve just been around the cryptocurrency scene for a long time and have seen quite a few cases of lost coins. Here are some personal opinions that I hope will help you protect your crypto assets.
Hot wallets: convenient but not secure enough.
Hot wallets like MetaMask, Trust Wallet, Phantom are suitable for small transactions or daily use, but not for storing large assets.
Be careful when signing smart contracts, even on your usual decentralized apps (DApp). My advice is to try new projects with a separate small wallet and never connect a large wallet to an unknown site.
Cold wallets are the best option.
Hardware wallets like Ledger, Trezor, and GridPlus are best suited for long-term cryptocurrency storage. Holding something tangible in your hand honestly does make you feel more secure. Cold wallets can store digital currency completely offline, and your private key stays offline, so it’s hard for hackers to break into the wallet to get access to the private key. Even if your computer is hacked, the funds should be safe.
I recommend buying a hardware wallet directly from the manufacturer, not on a third-party platform, as tampering with devices does happen.
Don’t screenshot your mnemonic.
Screenshotting your mnemonic is really convenient, but don’t do it, cloud backups or photos can be synced and compromised. It’s better to write it down honestly and with a little bit of hassle by hand and hide it somewhere, preferably a safe deposit box, there are even people who engrave their mnemonics on a steel plate.
Be cautious of phishing websites and links, and be sure to carefully check the URL before clicking. Some people, although using a cold wallet, still lose their coins and don’t even know how they were stolen, only to discover later, such as https://token.im It is the official website, while www.token.im is a phishing website. It may seem the same, but in reality, it is vastly different.
Collect your frequently used crypto websites. This year, scammers cloned the entire Discord server and even launched live broadcasts, deceiving customers into clicking on links to receive airdrops. As soon as they interacted, their wallets were immediately emptied.
Enable two factor authentication (2FA).
If you are using a centralized exchange, it is recommended to enable the dual authentication function. In this way, when performing sensitive operations such as transferring funds or logging into new devices, in addition to passwords, second layer authentication is also required, such as dynamic verification codes generated by Google Authenticator or dynamic codes bound to email addresses. In this way, even if hackers get your account password, they cannot perform any operations.
Use a dedicated email address.
Do not use your commonly used personal email to register for exchanges or wallets. Create a dedicated email that is only bound to this wallet.
I suggest you take 30 minutes to check your security settings and add a layer of insurance to your cryptocurrency.
If you have any other security suggestions or experiences of losing coins, please also share them. After all, in the cryptocurrency community, who hasn’t lost a coin yet? Losing coins is not shameful, rookies have never lost coins.
Author: BitcoinKOL，Source: https://bitcoinkol.com/dont-lose-your-coins-crypto-safe-storage-guide/
