How to best protect wallets

[dsattler]

Has anyone here used Armory for a wallet?

Yes, I'm using armory for quite a while now and I like it very much! I have a "watch-only" wallet on my desktop PC, which I can use to check my balance for incoming payments. I have little money in an online wallet from blockchain.info for the little expenses. If I have to pay something bigger, my desktop armory can create an offline transaction on an usb stick and I use an old umpc (xp tablet), which I keep offline, to sign the transaction. Then I put the usb stick back into my desktop PC to send the signed transaction.

So my private key was created offline and is kept on a machine, which I will never connect to the internet. Sounds pretty safe to me, I think it's like the upcoming trezor will work.

[empoweoqwj]

Has anyone here used Armory for a wallet?

Yes, I'm using armory for quite a while now and I like it very much! I have a "watch-only" wallet on my desktop PC, which I can use to check my balance for incoming payments. I have little money in an online wallet from blockchain.info for the little expenses. If I have to pay something bigger, my desktop armory can create an offline transaction on an usb stick and I use an old umpc (xp tablet), which I keep offline, to sign the transaction. Then I put the usb stick back into my desktop PC to send the signed transaction.

So my private key was created offline and is kept on a machine, which I will never connect to the internet. Sounds pretty safe to me, I think it's like the upcoming trezor will work.

Yep. You've got it sorted.

The USB stick is kept "off-site" isn't it ......... 

[h3m96]

Speaking of that, try PasswordSafe.  I got it from Bruce Schneier's site, and I like that program too. 

[empoweoqwj]

Speaking of that, try PasswordSafe.  I got it from Bruce Schneier's site, and I like that program too. 

I use KeePassX. Everyone should use a good password management program.

[Altoidnerd]

Speaking of that, try PasswordSafe.  I got it from Bruce Schneier's site, and I like that program too. 

I use KeePassX. Everyone should use a good password management program.

I have old ass legacy passwords burned in my head that are short, and then a code that instructs me how to manipulate the classics (concatenation, hashes and shit) that is written and chilling on my harddrive, but doesn't mention the passwords themselves. 

Cool story bro.  Yeah I need software...but I don't trust a goddamm.

[paul44]

I am so glad I asked this question and thank everyone for their advice. Lots of useful thoughts and processes you all use, going to look into each of them and see what will suit me the best.

Thanks again!

[empoweoqwj]

Speaking of that, try PasswordSafe.  I got it from Bruce Schneier's site, and I like that program too. 

I use KeePassX. Everyone should use a good password management program.

I have old ass legacy passwords burned in my head that are short, and then a code that instructs me how to manipulate the classics (concatenation, hashes and shit) that is written and chilling on my harddrive, but doesn't mention the passwords themselves. 

Cool story bro.  Yeah I need software...but I don't trust a goddamm.

I love your ulimate level of paranoia. Keeps you safe. But paranoid as hell 

[kjj]

Don't use gmail (, hotmail, yahoo, whatever).

Don't use the same password everywhere.

Don't park your coins with third parties.

If you must violate #3, don't use third parties that use access to your email as a way to bypass their authentication.

Once you've mastered these, you can move on to advanced techniques like picking passwords that don't suck.