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Author Topic: Best Storage for an at-risk computer  (Read 397 times)
jofus87 (OP)
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November 28, 2013, 01:11:37 PM
 #1

Without giving tons and tons of detail, I'll be moving to a not-so-friendly part of the world for my job in a few months. It's almost guaranteed that our personal and work computers will be monitored and targeted by the host government. I've been told whatever electronics we bring with us, we're better off chucking them in the trash before returning home to the US. We've also been warned that they aren't shy about breaking into our apartments and planting bugs, removing data, etc. All that being said, it raises some big security questions for me. How can I safely access my bitcoins/wallet if it's a very high chance that my computer will be compromised? My options seem to be as follows:

Computer storage: Probably not the best idea.
Online wallet: Okay unless I'll be logging in from my computer. Keyloggers + passwords = bad news, right?
Cold storage: Hope to goodness I don't lose a paper wallet or hard drive containing my BTC, and only redeem them if I intend to sell?

What do you guys think?
OnkelPaul
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November 28, 2013, 01:25:42 PM
 #2

This all depends on what you absolutely must be able to do while in that situation, and which things can wait until you get back.
Performing all bitcoin-related tasks (transfer, access to exchanges and other websites) on a computer that might be compromised is not advisable.
If you just want to be able to receive and send bitcoins, a hardware wallet might be ok. However, if the host country is likely to be suspicious of strange electronic devices, customs/immigration might become suspicious. You might also want to keep it empty or with just very little funds when you enter the country, so there would be no great loss if you'd lose it.

To safely store your BTC while you're abroad you should absolutely use cold storage, maybe in some form of m-out-of-n protocol so that you can place the partial paper wallets in several different locations, and no guardkeeper is able to access the contents without colluding with at least one other.

Onkel Paul

BoneCollector
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November 28, 2013, 01:36:08 PM
 #3

I would recommend on computer storage with a long encrypted password for you wallet and baked up regularly to cloud storage
andye
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November 28, 2013, 01:59:54 PM
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Keep them with a trusted friend in a 'friendly' part of the world, and if you need to do something with them then phone the friend and get them to do it?

Or if not a trusted friend then I'm sure this is the kind of thing you could pay a law firm to do for you - they'd be acting as trustees.
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