Password on your bitcoin wallet?

[TomM]

Hello people,

Is it possible to password-protect your bitcoin wallet? If not I'm a bit concerned that someone with access to my computer could steal my beloved bitcoins.

Congrats on an excellent and important project, BTW.

[caveden]

The default client doesn't have this built-in but you may always use an encryption tool.

[caveden]

Ah, just remember that the software won't automatically know how to decrypt it. If you want to always keep the wallet.dat used by the client encrypted, you'll need some sort of script to decrypt it before launching the client.

The best approach to protect your bitcoins is to transfer the amount that you want to "keep safe" to a new wallet, encrypt and back up this wallet on off line medias and maybe on a remote server. And don't forget to back up your encryption keys too.

[TomM]

Ok dandy,

Also if someone disappears and never returns to bitcoin, are their coins lost forever to the global bitcoin economy?

[caveden]

Yes.

[davout]

Ok dandy,

Also if someone disappears and never returns to bitcoin, are their coins lost forever to the global bitcoin economy?

Yep, until someone by an incredible chance hit generates the very same address.