Steelwallets and Airport Security - Potential Exposure Concerns

[bc1pMerlin]

Hi everyone,

I recently started using a steelwallet for securing my Bitcoin seed phrase, appreciating its durability and protection against physical damage. However, a concern crossed my mind that I'd like to discuss with the community.
Is there a chance that my precious seed phrase might get a bit too much unwanted attention?

I'm not overly paranoid or anything, but the thought of my seed phrase playing peekaboo with security personnel during a manual check doesn't sit right with me. Do those X-ray machines get nosy enough to pry into my steelwallet's secrets, or am I just overthinking this?

Has anyone here had to travel with their steelwallet? How did you play it cool? I'm all ears for tips, especially if there are any ninja moves for keeping the seed phrase under wraps in such situations.
Are there specific types of steelwallets designed to mitigate this risk, perhaps by obscuring the seed phrase in a way that's not immediately visible?

Cheers for any thoughts or shared wisdom on this!

[1714532129]

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[1714532129]

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[bobbybkk]

It depends:

Normally the steel wallet will not be affected by the X-ray machines, it is an electronic storage device or a a kind of mini PC....

BUT : If you are unlucky and seen in the company of a suspected Terrorist or Kiddiefiddler who you met maybe on the flight and had a friendly conversation with.....THEN maybe the airport security will ask you to provide access to your steel wallet, just to make sure there are no naughty pics on it or terror plans.......

In some countries you can decline to provide the password but then will get locked up until you change your mind... all up to you

[bc1pMerlin]

It depends:

Normally the steel wallet will not be affected by the X-ray machines, it is an electronic storage device or a a kind of mini PC....

BUT : If you are unlucky and seen in the company of a suspected Terrorist or Kiddiefiddler who you met maybe on the flight and had a friendly conversation with.....THEN maybe the airport security will ask you to provide access to your steel wallet, just to make sure there are no naughty pics on it or terror plans.......

In some countries you can decline to provide the password but then will get locked up until you change your mind... all up to you

Hi Bobby,
the steelwallet is a simple metal plate with the phrase seed engraved on it, It does not have any electronic components.

My doubt arises as to whether the x-ray scanner can read the phrase seed, or whether an agent suspicious of the strange object could check it and read the words (even worse if he were to photograph it)

[pinggoki]

You can probably hide them using some kind of rubber to cover the metal that's got your seed phrase engraved into, that way, it just looks like a piece of metal. X-rays don't affect them I think, if you're worried that they might see through the inscriptions, you're safe because the only way that they'll see that seed phrase is if they use an amount of radiation on their X-ray that's enough to lethally dose you with radiation including the people around the machine. If you're really worried, you can probably ditch it for a much convenient to you like a piece of paper, that way you can wear that piece of paper somewhere within your person and not worry about X-rays since you're going through a metal detector.

[Plaguedeath]

Depends on the security check.

If it's just a hand-carried devices, you might not face any problem since steel wallet using stainless steel or aluminum materials has a bad magnetic conductor especially if the size is small.

But when it comes to X-ray, there's a chance they could know all of your seed phrases because it able to see into the inside even if you have cover it.

My advise is don't carry your steelwallets, leave it somewhere hidden and create a new backup (if you want) when you've arrived on other country.


https://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/120493/can-punched-in-seed-phrase-on-steel-plate-be-read-by-airport-security-x-ray

[bobbybkk]

It depends:

Normally the steel wallet will not be affected by the X-ray machines, it is an electronic storage device or a a kind of mini PC....

BUT : If you are unlucky and seen in the company of a suspected Terrorist or Kiddiefiddler who you met maybe on the flight and had a friendly conversation with.....THEN maybe the airport security will ask you to provide access to your steel wallet, just to make sure there are no naughty pics on it or terror plans.......

In some countries you can decline to provide the password but then will get locked up until you change your mind... all up to you

Hi Bobby,
the steelwallet is a simple metal plate with the phrase seed engraved on it, It does not have any electronic components.

My doubt arises as to whether the x-ray scanner can read the phrase seed, or whether an agent suspicious of the strange object could check it and read the words (even worse if he were to photograph it)

Thanks for the clarification.........
Given the high value of Bitcoin, I think it could be possible that some security personel figure out a way to take a pic of your seed phrase.....would just need 1 person on the scanner to look for the metal object  and the other person to maybe wear a hidden body cam or so to take a pic while checking it and holding it......  would be a nice earner and very hard to prove....

[m2017]

~snip

Steelwallets are not designed to carry this around different countries and airport security. Steelwallets is necessary for long-term storage of the seed phrase and storage in a safe place. A phrase, be it on paper or on a piece of metal, is not something you should take with you to travel. Seed phrase should be difficult for others to find, but it should be easy to find in your pocket or backpack.

For your travels, a hardware wallet is better suited, which will be “lost” among other devices and from which it is impossible to extract a seed phrase, but leaves you the opportunity to access crypto wallets.

[sokani]

Has anyone here had to travel with their steelwallet? How did you play it cool? I'm all ears for tips, especially if there are any ninja moves for keeping the seed phrase under wraps in such situations.
Are there specific types of steelwallets designed to mitigate this risk, perhaps by obscuring the seed phrase in a way that's not immediately visible?

From what I understand, X-ray are very good in detecting metallic objects so the metallic seed phrase will be detected by the X-ray machine and draw the attention of the inspection officers. But If you're worried about your seed phrase being compromised during airport checks, then you should use a cryptosteel capsule or other similar products that can allow you disassemble the words during transit and re-assemble it on arrival.

A video of Cryptosteel unboxing, assembling and disassembling.

[Cryptomultiplier]

~snip

Steelwallets are not designed to carry this around different countries and airport security. Steelwallets is necessary for long-term storage of the seed phrase and storage in a safe place. A phrase, be it on paper or on a piece of metal, is not something you should take with you to travel. Seed phrase should be difficult for others to find, but it should be easy to find in your pocket or backpack.

For your travels, a hardware wallet is better suited, which will be “lost” among other devices and from which it is impossible to extract a seed phrase, but leaves you the opportunity to access crypto wallets.

Perhaps our dear OP has a thing for hiding things in plain sight, because I don't see why there should be need to carry about a steel wallet, knowing fully well that it can get lost in a frenzy of unplanned events.

Still, I don't think it should be a problem even if it is carried about, because I know seed phrases could just be plain words that may not mean anything to someone who knows nothing about it, only if of course one makes it obvious.

[yhiaali3]

I don't know why you carry a steel wallet with you while moving from one place to another or while traveling. It is better not to take it with you and keep it at home or another safe place.

However, if you are afraid that the x-rays will be able to read the modified seed phrase on the metal, you can place the steel wallet inside a metal cover so that the x-rays will not be able to penetrate it and read the engraved inscriptions. I think that way you will be safer.

[Stalker22]

My doubt arises as to whether the x-ray scanner can read the phrase seed, or whether an agent suspicious of the strange object could check it and read the words (even worse if he were to photograph it)

X-ray scanners at airports can see through a bunch of stuff - they can penetrate through a few centimeters of steel no problem, and their resolution is crazy too - they can make out little threads just 0.1 mm thick.  But the real magic is in the software behind it all.  It processes the scans and makes a color picture instead of just a regular black and white X-ray scans.

This helps the person watching the monitor identify different materials and objects inside people's bags. But they are not designed to decipher inscriptions engraved on metal plates. Therefore, there is no danger that someone will steal your coins that way.

However, while X-ray scanners might not be the biggest concern, carrying your seed phrase in your luggage remains a risky strategy.  Airport security can rifle through checked bags, potentially exposing your sensitive wallet information to prying eyes or surveillance cameras.  And with airlines' unreliable luggage tracking systems, lost bags or misdelivered suitcases could hand your precious seed phrase over to a complete stranger.  There are simply too many potential vulnerabilities to consider and  when securing your crypto assets, limiting access points by keeping your seed phrase far from airports and transit hubs proves the safest bet.

Still, I don't think it should be a problem even if it is carried about, because I know seed phrases could just be plain words that may not mean anything to someone who knows nothing about it, only if of course one makes it obvious.

This is not something you should bet on when it comes to the security of your crypto assets.

[darkangel11]

I'm not overly paranoid or anything, but the thought of my seed phrase playing peekaboo with security personnel during a manual check doesn't sit right with me. Do those X-ray machines get nosy enough to pry into my steelwallet's secrets, or am I just overthinking this?

There's no way to see the phrase with x-ray inside your bag. All they'll see is a metal object, round or flat, depending on what type of a seed storage device you have. The problem is that they might think a steel container is some kind of a weapon.



Something like this in your bag looks a bit like a small explosive device (IED), but they won't take it from you (most likely) just ask you to show it and unscrew the cover. They won't see each individual seed, but if you're scared about exposing yourself as a bitcoiner, better travel with a paper wallet.

[headingnorth]

1. Put your seedphrase into hex format 2. Use a hidden wallet.
So even if someone took a picture of all your words it would be useless to them.

Of course if they are already stamped you cannot do 1. but you can still do 2.
If you only have a standard wallet you would need to create a hidden wallet then transfer funds,
but leave a small amount in the standard wallet. Your seedphrase will be the same.

[adaseb]

Most likely the airport personnel would have no idea what it is. However if they are familiar with crypto and they see a steel wallet with 12 worded inside it wouldn’t be too hard for them to take out their phone and snap a photo and go on a lunch break right after.

My advice is don’t travel like this. Just leave it at home and write it down on a piece of paper and take that with you. If you lose the paper you still have the steel wallet at home.

[tabas]

I think your concern is valid because you'll never know if the staff that is checking the scanner are already in crypto and they've got an idea on what it is. Typically just 12-24 words that are engraved to that steelwallet will already be catchy to the personnel. I wouldn't bring that if I were you but if you want to still bring your seed, I'd write it down on a hard cardboard, notebook or anything that won't get noticed on that as if it's just notes that I am studying on. While the steel plate, I'd leave that in my house and so I've got both backups.

[Reatim]

As far as I know as long as it can not be used
as a weapon and you make sure to have it undergo
their security, there is no reason for them to prey
your ‘secrets’ open. If it is not suspicious nor dangerous
which it isn‘t then you should be good to go.

[blckhawk]

Depends on the security check.

If it's just a hand-carried devices, you might not face any problem since steel wallet using stainless steel or aluminum materials has a bad magnetic conductor especially if the size is small.

But when it comes to X-ray, there's a chance they could know all of your seed phrases because it able to see into the inside even if you have cover it.

My advise is don't carry your steelwallets, leave it somewhere hidden and create a new backup (if you want) when you've arrived on other country.

But if it's the case that you need to move and you absolutely need to carry your seedphrase, is it possible to just put it somewhere in your person, you can just put it in a dog tag and then wear it on a necklace and then just walk right through the metal detector, most of the time, when I do this when I go to a bus terminal I just go past it without a hitch. I do agree with just storing it somewhere though but in the absolute case that it's not an option, would my solution be applicable. And now that I think about it, isn't aluminum foil a good way to cover your belongings so they won't show in the x-ray? I think I've heard it somewhere that it can block it out somehow.

[Husires]

Stainless steel has low magnetic permeability, which makes it difficult to detect its details. Therefore, when you are traveling, it is better for your physical storage to be made of that material. Also, using a steel container will make the possibility of identifying seeds almost impossible, but the problem is if the authorities decide to detect the existing metals.The officer may want to see the wallet seed, so always use a strong passphrase wallet seed and store it in a separate place.

[Darker45]

Personally, I wouldn't be risking carrying my steel seed phrase backup around. I don't even think such a thing is for you to bring anywhere you go. For me, that's the kind of backup that you would want to bury or seal on the floor under a tile or on the wall. If you want to keep your seed phrase with you anywhere you go, perhaps a small piece of paper would do.

Anything steel will attract attention in airports. It will be detected. Even my small scissor was confiscated once. Even my coins were detected and I was asked by the security staff to confirm if those are indeed coins.

[stompix]

Stainless steel has low magnetic permeability, which makes it difficult to detect its details.

Yup, was looking for this.
If you're concerned about detection use something different.
Better than stainless steel use a titanium sheet, 10x10cm 2 mm thick is like 10$, enough to make a solid wallet that will most likely not trigger a beep at the gates.

Also, you might think of keeping the pieces separate, you make yourself a note on the first letter order and then you spread them in your luggage so even if they find them they won't really be able to guess the order, and it will be even harder to get pictures of all of them.
But. this is a bit going overboard.